NMI Holdings, Inc. Reports Record First Quarter 2019 Financial Results


EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NMI Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMIH) today reported GAAP net income of $32.9 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, and adjusted net income of $38.5 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, for its first quarter ended March 31, 2019.  This compares with GAAP net income of $35.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, and adjusted net income of $32.1 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018.  In the first quarter of 2018, the company reported GAAP net income of $22.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, and adjusted net income of $22.0 million, or $0.34 per diluted share.  The non-GAAP financial measures adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and adjusted return-on-equity are presented in this release to enhance the comparability of financial results between periods. See "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and our reconciliation of such measures to their most comparable GAAP measures, below.

Claudia Merkle, CEO of National MI, said, "National MI delivered record first quarter financial results, including new insurance written of $6.9 billion, net premiums earned of $73.9 million, adjusted net income of $38.5 million and adjusted return-on-equity of 21.2%.  We continued to grow our high-quality insured portfolio at an industry-leading rate and saw sustained momentum within our customer franchise.  We remain focused on achieving disciplined growth and executing on our broad-based credit risk management framework, which continues to drive favorable loss performance in our insured portfolio.”

  • As of March 31, 2019, the company had primary insurance-in-force of $73.2 billion, up 7% from $68.6 billion at December 31, 2018 and up 37% compared to $53.4 billion as of March 31, 2018.
  • Net premiums earned for the quarter were $73.9 million, up 7% over $69.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2018 and up 35% over $54.9 million for the first quarter of 2018.
  • Total underwriting and operating expenses in the quarter were $30.8 million, compared to $29.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 and $28.5 million in first quarter of 2018.
  • At quarter-end, cash and investments were $980 million and shareholders’ equity was $752 million, equal to $11.14 per share. Return-on-equity for the quarter was 18.1% and adjusted return-on-equity (a non-GAAP measure) was 21.2%.
  • At quarter-end, the company had total PMIERs available assets of $818 million, which compares with risk- based required assets under PMIERs of $607 million.

The non-GAAP measures of adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS and adjusted return-on-equity for the quarters presented exclude the after-tax impact of periodic capital markets transaction costs, changes in the fair value of our warrant liability and realized gains or losses from our investment portfolio.

       
  Quarter
Ended
Quarter
Ended
Quarter
Ended
Change (1)Change (1)
  3/31/201912/31/20183/31/2018Q/QY/Y
Primary Insurance-in-Force ($billions)$73.2 $68.6 $53.4 7%37%
New Insurance Written - NIW ($billions)     
 Monthly premium6.2 6.3 5.4 (1)%14%
 Single premium0.7 0.7 1.0 5%(31)%
 Total6.9 7.0 6.4 (1)%7%
      
Premiums Earned ($millions)73.9 69.3 54.9 7%35%
Underwriting & Operating Expense ($millions)30.8 29.4 28.5 5%8%
Loss Expense ($millions)2.7 2.1 1.6 28%75%
Loss Ratio3.7%3.1%2.9%  
Cash & Investments ($millions)$980.0 $936.8 $825.7 5%19%
Book Equity ($millions)751.9 701.5 601.9 7%25%
Book Value per Share$11.14 $10.58 $9.18 5%21%

(1)   Percentages may not be recalculated based on the rounded figures presented in the table.


Conference Call and Webcast Details

The company will hold a conference call and live webcast today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  The webcast will be available on the company's website, www.nationalmi.com, in the "Investor Relations" section.  The call also can be accessed by dialing (888) 734-0328 in the U.S., or (914) 495-8578 for international callers, and using Conference ID: 9578094 or by referencing NMI Holdings, Inc.

About NMI Holdings, Inc.

NMI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NMIH), is the parent company of National Mortgage Insurance Corporation (National MI), a U.S.-based, private mortgage insurance company enabling low down payment borrowers to realize home ownership while protecting lenders and investors against losses related to a borrower's default. To learn more, please visit www.nationalmi.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release or any other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company in connection therewith may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA).  The PSLRA provides a "safe harbor" for any forward-looking statements.  All statements other than statements of historical fact included in or incorporated by reference in this release are forward-looking statements, including any statements about our expectations, outlook, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance.  These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "may," "predict," "assume," "potential," "should," "will," "estimate," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "intend" and similar words or phrases.  All forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve estimates, known and unknown risks, assumptions and uncertainties that may turn out to be inaccurate and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them.  Many risks and uncertainties are inherent in our industry and markets.  Others are more specific to our business and operations.  Important factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements include, but are not limited to: changes in the business practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (collectively, the GSEs), including decisions that have the impact of decreasing or discontinuing the use of mortgage insurance as credit enhancement; our ability to remain an eligible mortgage insurer under the private mortgage insurer eligibility requirements (PMIERs) and other requirements imposed by the GSEs, which they may change at any time; retention of our existing certificates of authority in each state and the District of Columbia (D.C.) and our ability to remain a mortgage insurer in good standing in each state and D.C.; our future profitability, liquidity and capital resources; actions of existing competitors, including government mortgage insurers, such as the Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service and the Veterans Administration, and potential market entry by new competitors or consolidation of existing competitors; developments in the world's financial and capital markets and our access to such markets, including reinsurance; adoption of new or changes to existing laws and regulations that impact our business or financial condition directly or the mortgage insurance industry generally or their enforcement and implementation by regulators; legislative or regulatory changes to the GSEs' role in the secondary mortgage market or other changes that could affect the residential mortgage industry generally or mortgage insurance industry in particular; potential future lawsuits, investigations or inquiries or resolution of current lawsuits or inquiries; changes in general economic, market and political conditions and policies, interest rates, inflation and investment results or other conditions that affect the housing market or the markets for home mortgages or mortgage insurance; our ability to successfully execute and implement our capital plans, including our ability to access the capital, credit and reinsurance markets and to enter into, and receive approval of reinsurance arrangements on terms and conditions that are acceptable to us, the GSEs and our regulators; our ability to implement our business strategy, including our ability to write mortgage insurance on high quality low-down payment residential mortgage loans, implement successfully and on a timely basis, complex infrastructure, systems, procedures, and internal controls to support our business and regulatory and reporting requirements of the insurance industry; our ability to attract and retain a diverse customer base, including the largest mortgage originators; failure of risk management or pricing or investment strategies; emergence of unexpected claim and coverage issues, including claims exceeding our reserves or amounts we had expected to experience; potential adverse impacts arising from recent natural disasters, including, with respect to the affected areas, a decline in new business, adverse effects on home prices, and an increase in notices of default on insured mortgages; the inability of our counter-parties, including third party reinsurers, to meet their obligations to us; failure to maintain, improve and continue to develop necessary information technology systems or the failure of technology providers to perform; and, our ability to recruit, train and retain key personnel.  These risks and uncertainties also include, but are not limited to, those set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" detailed in Item 1A of Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as subsequently updated through other reports we file with the SEC.  All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.  We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, future events or circumstances that occur after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We believe the use of the non-GAAP measures of adjusted income before tax, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) enhance the comparability of our fundamental financial performance between periods, and provides relevant information to investors. These non-GAAP financial measures align with the way the company's business performance is evaluated by management. These measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as alternatives to GAAP measures of performance.  These measures have been presented in order to increase transparency and enhance the comparability of our fundamental operating trends across periods.

Adjusted income before tax is defined as GAAP income before tax, excluding the pre-tax effects of the gain or loss related to the change in fair value of our warrant liability, periodic costs incurred in connection with capital markets transactions, net realized gains or losses from our investment portfolio, and discrete, non-recurring and non-operating items in the periods in which such items are incurred.

Adjusted net income is defined as GAAP net income, excluding the after-tax effects of the gain or loss related to the change in fair value of our warrant liability, periodic costs incurred in connection with capital markets transactions, net realized gains or losses from our investment portfolio, and discrete, non-recurring and non-operating items in the periods in which such items are incurred. Adjustments to components of pre-tax income are tax effected using the applicable federal statutory tax rate for the respective periods.

Adjusted diluted EPS is defined as adjusted net income divided by adjusted weighted average diluted shares outstanding. Adjusted weighted average diluted shares outstanding is defined as weighted average diluted shares outstanding, adjusted for changes in the dilutive effect of non-vested shares that would otherwise have occurred had GAAP net income been calculated in accordance with adjusted net income. There will be no adjustment to weighted average diluted shares outstanding in the years that non-vested shares are anti-dilutive under GAAP.

Adjusted return-on-equity is calculated by dividing adjusted net income on an annualized basis by the average shareholders’ equity for the period.

Although adjusted income before tax, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS exclude certain items that have occurred in the past and are expected to occur in the future, the excluded items: (1) are not viewed as part of the operating performance of our primary activities; or (2) are impacted by market, economic or regulatory factors and are not necessarily indicative of operating trends, or both. These adjustments, and the reasons for their treatment, are described below.

(1) Change in fair value of warrant liability. Outstanding warrants at the end of each reporting period are revalued, and any change in fair value is reported in the statement of operations in the period in which the change occurred. The change in fair value of our warrant liability can vary significantly across periods and is influenced principally by equity market and general economic factors that do not impact or reflect our current period operating results. We believe trends in our operating performance can be more clearly identified by excluding fluctuations related to the change in fair value of our warrant liability.
  
(2)Capital markets transaction costs. Capital markets transaction costs result from activities that are undertaken to improve our debt profile or enhance our capital position through activities such as debt refinancing and capital markets reinsurance transactions that may vary in their size and timing due to factors such as market opportunities, tax and capital profile, and overall market cycles.
  
(3)Net realized investment gains and losses.  The recognition of the net realized investment gains or losses can vary significantly across periods as the timing is highly discretionary and is influenced by factors such as market opportunities, tax and capital profile, and overall market cycles that do not reflect our current period operating results.
  
(4) Infrequent or unusual non-operating items. Items that are the result of unforeseen or uncommon events, which occur separately from operating earnings and are not expected to recur in the future.  Identification and exclusion of these items provides clarity about the impact special or rare occurrences may have on our current financial performance. Past adjustments under this category include the effects of the release of the valuation allowance recorded against our net federal and certain state net deferred tax assets in 2016 and the re-measurement of our net deferred tax assets in connection with tax reform in 2017. We believe such items are non-recurring in nature, are not part of our primary operating activities and do not reflect our current period operating results.

We believe the disclosure of these items and adjustments provides increased transparency to investors and enhances the comparability of our fundamental operating trends across periods. Other companies may calculate these measures differently; their measures may not be comparable to those we calculate and present.

Investor Contact
John M. Swenson
Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury
john.swenson@nationalmi.com
(510) 788-8417

Press Contact
Mary McGarity
Strategic Vantage Mortgage Public Relations
(203) 513-2721
MaryMcGarity@StrategicVantage.com


Consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive incomeFor the three months ended March 31,
 2019 2018
Revenues(In Thousands, except for per share data)
Net premiums earned$73,868  $54,914 
Net investment income7,383  4,574 
Net realized investment losses(187)  
Other revenues42  64 
Total revenues81,106  59,552 
Expenses   
Insurance claims and claim expenses2,743  1,569 
Underwriting and operating expenses30,849  28,453 
Total expenses33,592  30,022 
Other expense   
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of warrant liability(5,479) 420 
Interest expense(3,061) (3,419)
Total other expense(8,540) (2,999)
    
Income before income taxes38,974  26,531 
Income tax expense6,075  4,176 
Net income$32,899  $22,355 
    
Earnings per share   
Basic$0.49  $0.36 
Diluted$0.48  $0.34 
    
Weighted average common shares outstanding   
Basic66,692  62,099 
Diluted68,996  65,697 
    
Loss ratio(1)3.7% 2.9%
Expense ratio(2)41.8% 51.8%
Combined ratio45.5% 54.7%
    
Net income$32,899  $22,355 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:   
Unrealized (losses) gains in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax (benefit) expense of $3,953 and ($423) for the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively14,868  (10,956)
Reclassification adjustment for realized losses (gains) included in net income, net of tax expense (benefit) of ($39) and $0 for the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively148   
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax15,016  (10,956)
Comprehensive income$47,915  $11,399 
 
(1) Loss ratio is calculated by dividing the provision for insurance claims and claim expenses by net premiums earned. 
(2) Expense ratio is calculated by dividing other underwriting and operating expenses by net premiums earned.
 
 
 


Consolidated balance sheetsMarch 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
Assets(In Thousands, except for share data)
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $934,712 and $924,987 as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively)$940,223  $911,490 
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $1,422 and $1,414 as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively)39,761  25,294 
Premiums receivable38,478  36,007 
Accrued investment income6,553  5,694 
Prepaid expenses4,454  3,241 
Deferred policy acquisition costs, net48,820  46,840 
Software and equipment, net25,105  24,765 
Intangible assets and goodwill3,634  3,634 
Prepaid reinsurance premiums27,747  30,370 
Other assets12,736  4,708 
Total assets$1,147,511  $1,092,043 
    
Liabilities   
Term loan$146,503  $146,757 
Unearned premiums154,325  158,893 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses16,981  31,141 
Reserve for insurance claims and claim expenses15,537  12,811 
Reinsurance funds withheld25,308  27,114 
Warrant liability, at fair value11,831  7,296 
Deferred tax liability, net12,770  2,740 
Other liabilities (1)12,375  3,791 
Total liabilities395,630  390,543 
    
Shareholders' equity   
Common stock - class A shares, $0.01 par value; 67,501,958 and 66,318,849 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively (250,000,000 shares authorized)675  663 
Additional paid-in capital684,635  682,181 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax184  (14,832)
Retain earnings66,387  33,488 
Total shareholders' equity751,881  701,500 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity$1,147,511  $1,092,043 
 
(1) Deferred Ceding Commissions have been reclassified to "Other Liabilities" in prior periods


  
  
  
Non-GAAP Financial Measure Reconciliations 
 Quarter ended Quarter ended Quarter ended 
 3/31/2019 12/31/2018 3/31/2018 
 As Reported(In Thousands, except for per share data) 
Revenues      
Net premiums earned$73,868  $69,261  $54,914  
Net investment income7,383  6,952  4,574  
Net realized investment gains (losses)(187) 6    
Other revenues42  40  64  
Total revenues81,106  76,259  59,552  
Expenses      
Insurance claims and claim expenses2,743  2,141  1,569  
Underwriting and operating expenses30,849  29,384  28,453  
Total expenses33,592  31,525  30,022  
Other Expense      
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of warrant liability(5,479) 3,538  420  
Interest expense(3,061) (3,028) (3,419) 
Total other expense(8,540) 510  (2,999) 
       
Income before income taxes38,974  45,244  26,531  
Income tax expense6,075  9,724  4,176  
Net income$32,899  $35,520  $22,355  
       
Adjustments:      
Net realized investment (gains) losses187  (6)   
(Gain) Loss from change in fair value of warrant liability5,479  (3,538) (420) 
Capital markets transaction costs  102    
Adjusted income before taxes44,640  41,802  26,111  
       
Income tax expense (benefit) on adjustments39  20  (88) 
Adjusted net income$38,526  $32,058  $22,023  
       
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding68,996  69,013  65,697  
Adjusted weighted average diluted shares outstanding68,996  69,013  65,697  
       
Diluted EPS$0.48  $0.46 (1)$0.34 (1)
Adjusted diluted EPS$0.56  $0.46  $0.34  
       
Return-on-equity18.1% 20.9% 16.1% 
Adjusted return-on-equity21.2% 18.8% 15.9% 


(1) Diluted net income excludes the impact of the warrant fair value change as it was anti-dilutive.  For the three months ended March 31, 2019, diluted net income equals reported net income as the impact of the warrant fair value change was dilutive.


 
 
 
Historical Quarterly Data2019 2018 2017
 March 31 December 31 September 30 June 30 March 31 December 31
Revenues(In Thousands, except for per share data)
Net premiums earned$73,868  $69,261  $65,407  $61,615  $54,914  $50,079 
Net investment income7,383  6,952  6,277  5,735  4,574  4,388 
Net realized investment gains (losses)(187) 6  (8) 59    9 
Other revenues42  40  85  44  64  62 
Total revenues81,106  76,259  71,761  67,453  59,552  54,538 
Expenses           
Insurance claims and claim expenses2,743  2,141  1,099  643  1,569  2,374 
Underwriting and operating expenses30,849  29,384  30,379  29,020  28,453  28,297 
Total expenses33,592  31,525  31,478  29,663  30,022  30,671 
            
Other expense (1)(8,540) 510  (8,436) (5,451) (2,999) (6,808)
            
Income before income taxes38,974  45,244  31,847  32,339  26,531  17,059 
Income tax expense6,075  9,724  7,036  7,098  4,176  18,825 
Net income (loss)$32,899  $35,520  $24,811  $25,241  $22,355  $(1,766)
            
Earnings (losses) per share           
Basic$0.49  $0.54  $0.38  $0.38  $0.36  $(0.03)
Diluted$0.48  $0.46  $0.36  $0.37  $0.34  $(0.03)
            
Weighted average common shares outstanding           
Basic66,692  66,308  65,948  65,664  62,099  60,219 
Diluted68,996  69,013  68,844  68,616  65,697  60,219 
            
Other data           
Loss Ratio  (2)3.7% 3.1% 1.7% 1.0% 2.9% 4.7%
Expense Ratio (3)41.8% 42.4% 46.4% 47.1% 51.8% 56.5%
Combined ratio45.5% 45.5% 48.1% 48.1% 54.7% 61.2%


(1) Other expense includes the gain (loss) from change in fair value of warrant liability and interest expense.
(2) Loss ratio is calculated by dividing the provision for insurance claims and claim expenses by net premiums earned.
(3)   Expense ratio is calculated by dividing other underwriting and operating expenses by net premiums earned.
  
  
  

New Insurance Written (NIW), Insurance in Force (IIF) and Premiums

The tables below present primary NIW and primary and pool IIF, as of the dates and for the periods indicated.

Primary NIWThree months ended
 March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
 September 30,
2018
 June 30,
2018
 March 31,
2018

 December 31,
2017

  
 (In Millions)
Monthly$6,211  $6,296 $6,675 $5,711 $5,441 $5,736
Single 702   666  686  802  1,019  1,140
Primary$6,913  $6,962 $7,361 $6,513 $6,460 $6,876


Primary and pool IIFAs of
 March 31,
2019

 December
31, 2018

 September
30, 2018

 June 30,
2018

 March 31,
2018

 December
31, 2017

 (In Millions)
Monthly$55,995 $51,655 $46,967 $41,843 $37,574 $33,268
Single 17,239  16,896  16,560  16,246  15,860  15,197
Primary 73,234  68,551  63,527  58,089  53,434  48,465
                  
Pool 2,838  2,901  2,974  3,064  3,153  3,233
Total$76,072 $71,452 $66,501 $61,153 $56,587 $51,698

The following table presents the amounts related to the company's quota-share reinsurance transactions (the 2016 QSR Transaction and 2018 QSR Transaction, and collectively, the QSR Transactions) for the periods indicated.

 As of and for the three months ended
  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
 September 30,
2018
 June 30,
2018
 March 31,
2018
 December 31,
2017
 
 (In Thousands)
Ceded risk-in-force$4,534,353  $4,292,450  $3,960,461  $3,606,928  $3,304,335  $2,983,353 
Ceded premiums written(18,845) (17,799) (16,546) (15,318) (14,525) (15,233)
Ceded premiums earned(21,468) (20,487) (19,286) (18,077) (16,218) (14,898)
Ceded claims and claim expenses899  710  337  173  543  800 
Ceding commission written3,771  3,549  3,320  3,064  2,905  3,047 
Ceding commission earned4,206  4,084  3,814  3,536  3,151  2,885 
Profit commission12,061  11,666  11,272  10,707  9,201  8,139 

Portfolio Statistics

The table below highlights trends in our primary portfolio as of the date and for the periods indicated.

Primary portfolio trendsAs of and for the three months ended 
   March 31,
2019
   December 31,
2018 
    September 30, 2018    June 30,
2018
    March 31,
2018
   December 31,
2017 
 
 ($ Values In Millions) 
New insurance written$6,913  $6,962  $7,361  $6,513  $6,460  $6,876 
New risk written 1,799   1,799    1,883    1,647    1,580   1,665 
Insurance in force (IIF) (1) 73,234   68,551    63,527    58,089    53,434   48,465  
Risk in force (1) 18,373   17,091    15,744    14,308    13,085   11,843  
Policies in force (count) (1) 297,232   280,825    262,485    241,993    223,263   202,351  
Average loan size (1)$0.246  $0.244  $0.242  $0.240  $0.239  $0.240 
Average coverage (2) 25.1%  24.9 %  24.8 %  24.6 %  24.5%  24.4 %
Loans in default (count) (1) 940   877    746    768    1,000   928  
Percentage of loans in default 0.3%  0.3 %  0.3 %  0.3 %  0.5%  0.5 %
Risk in force on defaulted loans (1)$53  $48  $42  $43  $57  $53 
Average premium yield (3) 0.42%  0.42 %  0.43 %  0.44 %  0.43 %  0.44 %
Earnings from cancellations$2.3  $2.1  $2.6  $3.1  $2.8  $4.2 
Annual persistency (4) 87.2%  87.1 %  86.1 %  85.5 %  85.7 %  86.1 %
Quarterly run-off (5) 3.3%  3.1 %  3.3 %  3.5 %  3.1 %  3.9 %

 

(1) Reported as of the end of the period.
(2) Calculated as end of period risk in force (RIF) divided by IIF.
(3) Calculated as net primary and pool premiums earned, net of reinsurance, divided by average primary IIF for the period, annualized.
(4) Defined as the percentage of IIF that remains on our books after any 12-month period.
(5)   Defined as the percentage of IIF that is no longer on our books after any 3-month period.
  
  
  

The tables below present our total primary NIW by FICO, loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, and purchase/refinance mix for the periods indicated.

Primary NIW by FICOFor the three months ended
 March 31, 2019
 December 31, 2018
 March 31, 2018
 
       
 ($ In Millions)
>= 760$3,057 $3,125 $2,619 
740-759 1,224  1,198  1,073 
720-739 1,044  1,033  914 
700-719 792  797  811 
680-699 553  559  567 
<=679 243  250  476 
Total$6,913 $6,962 $6,460 
Weighted average FICO 749  750  743 


Primary NIW by LTVFor the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
95.01% and above$569  $582  $997 
90.01% to 95.00%3,424  3,409  2,765 
85.01% to 90.00%2,241  2,224  1,755 
85.00% and below679  747  943 
Total$6,913  $6,962  $6,460 
Weighted average LTV92.2% 92.1% 92.5%


Primary NIW by purchase/refinance mixFor the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
Purchase$6,383  $6,627  $5,425 
Refinance530  335  1,035 
Total$6,913  $6,962  $6,460 
 
 
 

The table below presents a summary of our primary IIF and RIF by book year as of March 31, 2019

Primary IIF and RIFAs of March 31, 2019
 IIF RIF
    
 (In Millions)
March 31, 2019$6,872  $1,789 
201825,609  6,492 
201718,353  4,514 
201614,750  3,652 
20156,585  1,658 
2014 and before1,065  268 
Total$73,234  $18,373 
 
 
 

The tables below present our total primary IIF and RIF by FICO and LTV and total primary RIF by loan type as of the dates indicated.

Primary IIF by FICOAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
>= 760$33,902  $31,870  $25,371 
740-75912,160  11,294  8,635 
720-73910,096  9,338  6,981 
700-7198,122  7,574  5,814 
680-6995,435  5,062  3,852 
<=6793,519  3,413  2,781 
Total$73,234  $68,551  $53,434 


Primary RIF by FICOAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
>= 760$8,506  $7,955  $6,246 
740-7593,076  2,836  2,125 
720-7392,550  2,341  1,710 
700-7192,036  1,886  1,416 
680-6991,357  1,256  932 
<=679848  817  656 
Total$18,373  $17,091  $13,085 


Primary IIF by LTVAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
95.01% and above$7,204  $6,774  $4,872 
90.01% to 95.00%34,024  31,507  23,937 
85.01% to 90.00%22,208  20,668  16,034 
85.00% and below9,798  9,602  8,591 
Total$73,234  $68,551  $53,434 


Primary RIF by LTVAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
95.01% and above$1,928  $1,801  $1,294 
90.01% to 95.00%9,923  9,185  6,978 
85.01% to 90.00%5,384  4,994  3,831 
85.00% and below1,138  1,111  982 
Total$18,373  $17,091  $13,085 


Primary RIF by Loan TypeAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
      
Fixed98% 98% 98%
Adjustable rate mortgages:     
Less than five years     
Five years and longer2  2  2 
Total100% 100% 100%
 
         
         

The table below presents a summary of the change in total primary IIF during the periods indicated.

Primary IIFFor the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Millions)
IIF, beginning of period$68,551  $63,527  $48,465 
NIW6,913  6,962  6,460 
Cancellations and other reductions(2,230) (1,938) (1,491)
IIF, end of period$73,234  $68,551  $53,434 
 
 
 

Geographic Dispersion

The following table shows the distribution by state of our primary RIF as of the periods indicated.

Top 10 primary RIF by stateAs of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
California12.7% 13.0% 13.5%
Texas8.3  8.2  8.0 
Florida5.2  5.0  4.7 
Virginia5.0  4.9  5.1 
Arizona4.8  4.9  4.8 
Michigan3.6  3.6  3.7 
Pennsylvania3.6  3.6  3.6 
Colorado3.4  3.5  3.5 
Illinois3.4  3.4  3.3 
Maryland3.2  3.2  3.4 
Total53.2% 53.3% 53.6%
 
 
 

The following table shows portfolio data by book year, as of March 31, 2019.

 As of March 31, 2019
Book
year
Original
Insurance
Written
 Remaining Insurance in
Force
 %
Remaining of Original Insurance
 Policies Ever
in Force
 Number of Policies in
Force
 Number of Loans in
Default
 # of Claims
Paid
Incurred Loss Ratio (Inception to Date) (1) Cumulative default
rate (2)
 ($ Values in Millions)
2013$162 $28 17 655 153  10.20% 0.15%
20143,451 1,037 30 14,786 5,450 45 343.44% 0.53%
201512,422 6,585 53 52,548 30,653 167 642.64% 0.44%
201621,187 14,750 70 83,626 61,940 231 562.28% 0.34%
201721,582 18,353 85 85,897 75,951 326 102.99% 0.39%
201827,289 25,609 94 104,017 99,200 171 22.34% 0.17%
20196,913 6,872 99 24,006 23,885  —% %
 $93,006 $73,234   365,535 297,232 940 167   


(1)   The ratio of claims incurred (paid and reserved) divided by cumulative premiums earned, net of reinsurance.
(2) The sum of claims paid ever to date and notices of default as of the end of the period divided by policies ever in force.
  
  
  


The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending reserve balances for primary insurance claims and claim expenses:

 For the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018
 (In Thousands)
Beginning balance$12,811  $8,761 
Less reinsurance recoverables (1)(3,001) (1,902
Beginning balance, net of reinsurance recoverables9,810  6,859 
    
Add claims incurred:   
Claims and claim expenses incurred:   
Current year (2)3,909  1,940 
Prior years (3)(1,166) (371
Total claims and claim expenses incurred2,743  1,569 
    
Less claims paid:   
Claims and claim expenses paid:   
Current year (2)   
Prior years (3)694  371 
Total claims and claim expenses paid694  371 
    
Reserve at end of period, net of reinsurance recoverables11,859  8,057 
Add reinsurance recoverables (1)3,678  2,334 
Ending balance$15,537  $10,391 


(1)Related to ceded losses recoverable under the QSR Transactions, included in "Other Assets" on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(2)Related to insured loans with their most recent defaults occurring in the current year. For example, if a loan had defaulted in a prior year and subsequently  cured and later re-defaulted in the current year, that default would be included in the current year. Amounts are presented net of reinsurance.
(3) Related to insured loans with defaults occurring in prior years, which have been continuously in default since that time. Amounts are presented net of reinsurance.
  
  
  


The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending count of loans in default for the periods indicated.

 For the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018
    
Beginning default inventory877  928 
Plus: new defaults574  413 
Less: cures(474) (324)
Less: claims paid(37) (17)
Ending default inventory940  1,000 
 
 
 


The following table provides details of our claims paid, before giving effect to claims ceded under the QSR Transactions, for the periods indicated.

 For the three months ended
 March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018
    
 (In Thousands)
Number of claims paid (1)37  17 
Total amount paid for claims$926  $482 
Average amount paid per claim (2)$27  $34 
Severity(3)64% 74%


(1)   Count includes claims settled without payment.
(2) Calculation is net of claims settled without payment.
(3)   Severity represents the total amount of claims paid including claim expenses divided by the related RIF on the loan at the time the claim is perfected which included claims settled without payment.
  
  
  


The following table shows our average reserve per default, before giving effect to reserves ceded under the QSR Transactions, as of the periods indicated.

Average reserve per default:As of March 31, 2019 As of March 31, 2018
    
 (In Thousands)
Case (1)$15  $9 
IBNR (2)2  1 
Total$17  $10 


(1) Defined as the gross reserve per insured loan in default.
(2) Amount includes claims adjustment expenses.
  
  
  


The following table provides a comparison of the PMIERs financial requirements as reported by NMIC as of the dates indicated.

 As of
 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 March 31, 2018
      
 (In Thousands)
Available Assets$817,758  $733,762  $555,336 
Risk-Based Required Assets607,325  511,268  522,260