ITIC Investors Title Company

Investors Title Company today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. The Company reported net income of $6.2 million, or $3.25 per diluted share, compared with net income of $13.8 million, or $7.29 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

Total revenues decreased 4.3% to $69.0 million, compared to $72.1 million in the prior year period. The Company set a first quarter record for net premiums written, however this was partially offset by the recognition of a $5.9 million loss in the estimated fair value of the equity investment portfolio. Net premiums written increased 2.7% to $63.1 million, driven by increases in average home values and a higher level of purchase activity. Escrow and title-related fees increased 81.0% due to growth in independent agent markets and products which support title insurance. Revenues from non-title services increased 16.7%, mainly due to higher like-kind exchange activity and trust management fee income.

Operating expenses increased 11.8% to $61.2 million compared to $54.8 million in the prior year period. Claims expense was $1.4 million lower than the prior period mainly due to a higher level of favorable loss development in the current period. Personnel expenses were 31.6% higher primarily due to expansion of our presence in key markets, overall staff growth to support higher transaction volumes, and increased employee benefit and contract labor costs. Other categories of operating expenses were 7.4% higher than the prior period primarily to support expansion of our geographic footprint as well as ongoing strategic technology initiatives.

Income before income taxes decreased $9.5 million to $7.8 million. Excluding the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of investments in equity securities, income before income taxes (non-GAAP) decreased 2.6% to $13.7 million versus $14.1 million for the prior year period (see Appendix A for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure).

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, “As expected, rising mortgage interest rates suppressed refinance activity for the quarter. However, rising home prices and volume growth resulting from our expansion efforts resulted in a new quarterly record for net premiums written again this quarter.

“We remain optimistic about the prospects for solid results for the Company in 2022. Regardless of cyclical changes in the real estate market, we will remain focused on profitably expanding our market presence and enhancing our competitive strengths.”

Investors Title Company’s subsidiaries issue and underwrite title insurance policies. The Company also provides investment management services and services in connection with tax-deferred exchanges of like-kind property.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as “plan,” expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “project,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” and other expressions that indicate future events and trends. Such statements include, among others, any statements regarding the Company’s expected performance for this year, projections regarding U.S. recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, future home price fluctuations, changes in home purchase or refinance demand, activity and the mix thereof, interest rate changes, expansion of the Company’s market presence, enhancing competitive strengths, developments in housing affordability, wages, unemployment or overall economic conditions or statements regarding our actuarial assumptions and the application of recent historical claims experience to future periods. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated and historical results. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic (including any of its variants) and its effects (and the effects of measures undertaken to combat it) on the economy and the Company’s business; the cyclical demand for title insurance due to changes in the residential and commercial real estate markets; the occurrence of fraud, defalcation or misconduct; variances between actual claims experience and underwriting and reserving assumptions, including the limited predictive power of historical claims experience; declines in the performance of the Company’s investments; government regulations; changes in the economy; the potential impact of inflation; changes resulting from President Biden’s administration and Congress; loss of agency relationships, or significant reductions in agent-originated business; difficulties managing growth, whether organic or through acquisitions and other considerations set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in subsequent filings.

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

2022

 

2021

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

Net premiums written

 

$

63,125

 

 

$

61,477

Escrow and other title-related fees

 

 

5,064

 

 

 

2,798

Non-title services

 

 

2,426

 

 

 

2,078

Interest and dividends

 

 

915

 

 

 

1,016

Other investment income

 

 

1,337

 

 

 

941

Net realized investment gains

 

 

1,747

 

 

 

321

Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

 

 

(5,915

)

 

 

3,239

Other

 

 

299

 

 

 

208

Total Revenues

 

 

68,998

 

 

 

72,078

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

Commissions to agents

 

 

29,857

 

 

 

30,542

Provision for claims

 

 

176

 

 

 

1,591

Personnel expenses

 

 

21,254

 

 

 

16,153

Office and technology expenses

 

 

4,368

 

 

 

2,742

Other expenses

 

 

5,550

 

 

 

3,735

Total Operating Expenses

 

 

61,205

 

 

 

54,763

 

 

 

 

 

Income before Income Taxes

 

 

7,793

 

 

 

17,315

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for Income Taxes

 

 

1,608

 

 

 

3,492

 

 

 

 

 

Net Income

 

$

6,185

 

 

$

13,823

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Earnings per Common Share

 

$

3.26

 

 

$

7.30

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic

 

 

1,896

 

 

 

1,894

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted Earnings per Common Share

 

$

3.25

 

 

$

7.29

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted

 

 

1,903

 

 

 

1,897

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

December 31, 2021

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

37,310

 

$

37,168

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value

 

67,725

 

 

79,791

Equity securities, at fair value

 

69,945

 

 

76,853

Short-term investments

 

58,555

 

 

45,930

Other investments

 

20,217

 

 

20,298

Total investments

 

216,442

 

 

222,872

 

 

 

 

Premiums and fees receivable

 

23,850

 

 

22,953

Accrued interest and dividends

 

1,000

 

 

817

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

 

11,618

 

 

11,721

Property, net

 

13,413

 

 

13,033

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net

 

15,621

 

 

15,951

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

7,321

 

 

5,202

Other assets

 

1,822

 

 

1,771

Total Assets

$

328,397

 

$

331,488

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

Reserve for claims

$

36,366

 

$

36,754

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

34,486

 

 

43,868

Operating lease liabilities

 

7,453

 

 

5,329

Current income taxes payable

 

6,164

 

 

3,329

Deferred income taxes, net

 

11,436

 

 

13,121

Total liabilities

 

95,905

 

 

102,401

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ Equity:

 

 

 

Common stock – no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,897 and 1,895 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary)

 

—

 

 

—

Retained earnings

 

231,274

 

 

225,861

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

1,218

 

 

3,226

Total stockholders’ equity

 

232,492

 

 

229,087

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$

328,397

 

$

331,488

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Net Premiums Written By Branch and Agency

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2022

%

2021

%

Branch

$

17,418

27.6

$

17,360

28.2

 

 

 

 

 

Agency

 

45,707

72.4

 

44,117

71.8

 

 

 

 

 

Total

$

63,125

100.0

$

61,477

100.0

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Appendix A

Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

Management uses various financial and operational measurements, including financial information not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), to analyze Company performance. This includes adjusting revenues to remove the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments, which are recognized in net income under GAAP. Management believes that these measures are useful to evaluate the Company's internal operational performance from period to period because they eliminate the effects of external market fluctuations. The Company also believes users of the financial results would benefit from having access to such information, and that certain of the Company’s peers make available similar information. This information should not be used as a substitute for, or considered superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

 

The following tables reconcile non-GAAP financial measurements used by Company management to the comparable measurements using GAAP:

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2022

 

2021

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

 

 

Total revenues (GAAP)

$

68,998

 

$

72,078

 

Add (Subtract): Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

 

5,915

 

 

(3,239

)

Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP)

$

74,913

 

$

68,839

 

 

 

 

 

Income before Income Taxes

 

 

 

Income before income taxes (GAAP)

$

7,793

 

$

17,315

 

Add (Subtract): Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

 

5,915

 

 

(3,239

)

Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP)

$

13,708

 

$

14,076

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220505005803/en/

Elizabeth B. Lewter (919) 968-2200