Horace Mann Reports Results for First Quarter MarketWatch (press release)
Today reported net income of $22.6 million (55 cents per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2010, compared to net income of $13.4 million (33 cents per share) for the same period in 2009. Included in net income were net realized gains on securities of $4.9 million ($3.1 million after tax, or 7 cents per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2010. In the first quarter of 2009, net income included net realized investment losses of $0.8 million ($0.6 million after tax, or 2 cents per share). All per-share amounts are stated on a diluted basis."With the continuing stabilization of the financial markets in the first quarter, our net unrealized investment gain position continued to improve, with reported book value per share of $19.84 increasing 75 percent over the last twelve months," said Louis G. Lower, President and Chief Executive Officer. "And, as we begin another year, our underlying profit fundamentals remain strong. Net income before realized investment gains and losses was 48 cents per share for the first quarter compared to 35 cents a year ago, with the prior year quarter including a charge of approximately 8 cents per share related to our property and casualty claims office consolidation and marketing transition initiatives. Within the current quarter results, strong earnings from our annuity and life segments more than offset a decrease in property and casualty earnings," continued Lower. "Catastrophe losses were higher this year, as were sinkhole claims in Florida. The current accident year combined ratio excluding catastrophes was approximately 95 percent in the current quarter, which was about 1 percentage point higher than the prior year, primarily reflecting the loss ratio increase. Combined annuity and life segment net income increased significantly in the first quarter compared to prior year, primarily due to the positive impact of financial market performance, growth in investment income and a notable improvement in the interest margin."
