Investors Title Company Announces Record Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results

About this update from Investors Title Company

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Investors Title Company today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 . The Company reported net income of $19.8 million , or $10.42 per diluted share, compared to $14.5 million , or $7.65 per diluted share, for the prior year period. The Company set all-time quarterly records for total revenues, net premiums written and net income. Revenues for the quarter increased 37.6% to $85.0 million , compared with $61.7 million for the prior year quarter. Net premiums written increased 42.2% versus the prior year period, as lower average interest rates and ongoing economic recovery continued to drive strong levels of refinance activity and home sales. Higher transaction volumes drove a 72.8% increase in escrow and other title-related fees. Non-title services increased 21.9% due primarily to higher levels of property exchange transaction volumes and higher income levels from management services. Other investment income increased $957,000 due to earnings from partnership investments. Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments resulted in a benefit of $4.8 million , which was $3.1 million lower than the prior year quarter, as equity markets continued to rally following the dip from initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year period. Other income increased $4.0 million due to a gain on the sale of property. Operating expenses increased 36.2%, as commissions to agents increased commensurate with the increase in agent premium volume. Notwithstanding higher premium volumes, claims expense decreased 28.0% due to improved incurred claims experience and higher levels of favorable loss development related to prior policy years. Personnel costs were 29.9% higher than the prior year period due to staffing additions in support of strategic growth initiatives and volume increases. Higher premium volumes and ongoing technology initiatives drove the increase in other operating expenses. Income before income taxes increased 41.1% to $25.3 million for the current quarter versus $17.9 million in the prior year period. Excluding the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments, income before income taxes (non-GAAP) increased 105.6% to $20.5 million for the current quarter versus $10.0 million in the prior year period (see Appendix A for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure). For the six months ended June 30, 2021 , net income increased $26.1 million to $33.6 million , or $17.70 per diluted share, versus $7.5 million , or $3.95 per diluted share, for the prior year period. Revenues increased 71.3% to $157.0 million , versus $91.6 million in the prior year period. Operating expenses increased 39.1% to $114.4 million , mainly due to increases in agent commissions and personnel expenses. Aside from changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments and claims expense, overall results for the year-to-date period have been shaped predominantly by the same factors that affected the second quarter. Chairman J. Allen Fine added, “We are pleased to announce another quarter of record operating results for the Company. Overall, the trends that began last year following the onset of the pandemic continued to fuel strong demand for housing as well as high levels of refinance activity. The Company experienced revenue growth in all of its key markets and across all channels. “The outlook for real estate activity for the remainder of the year continues to be generally positive. The pace of existing home sales has slowed in recent months as prices have continued to rise, however mortgage interest rates continue to hover near record low levels, and have offset some of the impact of higher prices. The economy overall is showing clear signs of recovery amid strong government stimulus measures, with more than half of the population receiving vaccinations, more establishments reopening, and unemployment levels continuing to fall. With these trends in mind, we believe 2021 will be another record year for the industry.” 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, positive development 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; 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, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission , and in subsequent filings. Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Operations For the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30 , Six Months Ended June 30 , 2021 2020 2021 2020 Revenues: Net premiums written $ 67,527 $ 47,479 $ 129,004 $ 86,106 Escrow and other title-related fees 3,487 2,018 6,285 3,860 Non-title services 2,408 1,975 4,486 4,522 Interest and dividends 898 1,105 1,914 2,282 Other investment income 1,483 526 2,424 966 Net realized investment gains 182 553 503 141 Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments 4,829 7,972 8,068 (6,486 ) Other 4,147 120 4,355 258 Total Revenues 84,961 61,748 157,039 91,649 Operating Expenses: Commissions to agents 34,346 24,089 64,888 44,276 Provision for claims 1,436 1,994 3,027 2,900 Personnel expenses 15,914 12,248 32,067 24,057 Office and technology expenses 3,211 2,457 5,953 4,872 Other expenses 4,766 3,038 8,501 6,151 Total Operating Expenses 59,673 43,826 114,436 82,256 Income before Income Taxes 25,288 17,922 42,603 9,393 Provision for Income Taxes 5,506 3,427 8,998 1,909 Net Income $ 19,782 $ 14,495 $ 33,605 $ 7,484 Basic Earnings per Common Share $ 10.44 $ 7.66 $ 17.74 $ 3.96 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic 1,894 1,892 1,894 1,891 Diluted Earnings per Common Share $ 10.42 $ 7.65 $ 17.70 $ 3.95 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted 1,899 1,895 1,898 1,895 Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheets As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands) (unaudited) June 30 , 2021 December 31 , 2020 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 31,583 $ 13,723 Investments: Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value 88,982 117,713 Equity securities, at fair value 69,915 64,919 Short-term investments 44,446 15,170 Other investments 15,031 15,493 Total investments 218,374 213,295 Premiums and fees receivable 21,388 19,427 Accrued interest and dividends 850 1,038 Prepaid expenses and other receivables 13,800 9,418 Property, net 15,010 11,160 Goodwill and other intangible assets, net 9,980 9,771 Operating lease right-of-use assets 3,383 3,533 Other assets 1,767 1,560 Current income taxes receivable 804 — Total Assets $ 316,939 $ 282,925 Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity Liabilities: Reserve for claims $ 35,303 $ 33,584 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 34,724 36,020 Operating lease liabilities 3,510 3,669 Current income taxes payable — 638 Deferred income taxes, net 11,464 8,592 Total liabilities 85,001 82,503 Stockholders’ Equity: Common stock – no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,894 and 1,892 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 , respectively, excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary) — — Retained earnings 228,133 196,096 Accumulated other comprehensive income 3,805 4,326 Total stockholders’ equity 231,938 200,422 Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity $ 316,939 $ 282,925 Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries Net Premiums Written By Branch and Agency For the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30 , Six Months Ended June 30 , 2021 % 2020 % 2021 % 2020 % Branch $ 17,048 25.2 $ 12,973 27.3 $ 34,408 26.7 $ 22,868 26.6 Agency 50,479 74.8 34,506 72.7 94,596 73.3 63,238 73.4 Total $ 67,527 100.0 $ 47,479 100.0 $ 129,004 100.0 $ 86,106 100.0 Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries Appendix A Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation For the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (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 June 30 , Six Months Ended June 30 , 2021 2020 2021 2020 Revenues Total revenues (GAAP) $ 84,961 $ 61,748 $ 157,039 $ 91,649 (Subtract) Add: Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments (4,829 ) (7,972 ) (8,068 ) 6,486 Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP) $ 80,132 $ 53,776 $ 148,971 $ 98,135 Income before Income Taxes Income before income taxes (GAAP) $ 25,288 $ 17,922 $ 42,603 $ 9,393 (Subtract) Add: Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments (4,829 ) (7,972 ) (8,068 ) 6,486 Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP) $ 20,459 $ 9,950 $ 34,535 $ 15,879 View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210804005254/en/ Elizabeth B. Lewter Telephone: (919) 968-2200 Source: Investors Title Company

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