ITIC Investors Title Company

Investors Title Company (Nasdaq: ITIC) today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. The Company reported net income of $1.2 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared with net income of $6.2 million, or $3.25 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

Revenues decreased 25.6% to $51.3 million, compared to $69.0 million in the prior year period, primarily as a result of decreases of 38.3% in revenues related to our title insurance business. The reductions in net premiums written and escrow and other title-related fees are attributable to an overall decline in the level of real estate transaction volumes resulting from higher average mortgage interest rates and ongoing housing supply constraints. The decline in title insurance revenues was partially offset by increases in non-title services, primarily like-kind exchanges, and net realized investment gains. The sale of appreciated investment securities during the period resulted in a reduction in unrealized gains as they were reclassified to net realized investment gains, which is not indicative of a decline in estimated fair value.

Operating expenses decreased 18.7% compared to the prior year period, mainly due to a $10.5 million decline in commissions to agents commensurate with the decrease in agent premium volume. The decrease in operating expenses was partially offset by an $892 thousand increase in the provision for claims, which resulted primarily from a lower level of favorable loss development as compared to the prior year period. Personnel, office, and technology expenses remained relatively consistent with the prior year period, primarily due to growth initiatives and continued expansion of our geographic footprint.

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, “The title insurance industry continued to experience economic headwinds in the first quarter. While mortgage rates declined slightly from the prior quarter, the overall higher level continued to negatively impact home sales and commercial real estate activity. Higher interest rates in the financial markets did help partially offset the decline in real estate activity by providing the ability to increase our investment income.

“Regardless of the recent softness in the real estate market, we are still finding opportunities to enhance our operational capabilities and expand our presence in new and existing markets. We possess a very strong balance sheet which affords us the strength to continue to make investments in the future, even in market downturns. As always, we strive to maintain a disciplined financial approach, balancing the need for short-term expense management with long-term investments in our business.”

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.

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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, 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, 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 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 and responses by government regulators, including the Federal Reserve; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including any of its variants) on the economy and the Company’s business; 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, 2022 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, 2023 and 2022

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

2023

 

2022

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

Net premiums written

 

$

38,966

 

 

$

63,125

 

Escrow and other title-related fees

 

 

3,125

 

 

 

5,064

 

Non-title services

 

 

5,842

 

 

 

2,426

 

Interest and dividends

 

 

2,074

 

 

 

915

 

Other investment income

 

 

753

 

 

 

1,337

 

Net realized investment gains

 

 

7,233

 

 

 

1,747

 

Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

 

 

(6,790

)

 

 

(5,915

)

Other

 

 

140

 

 

 

299

 

Total Revenues

 

 

51,343

 

 

 

68,998

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

Commissions to agents

 

 

19,326

 

 

 

29,857

 

Provision for claims

 

 

1,068

 

 

 

176

 

Personnel expenses

 

 

20,820

 

 

 

21,254

 

Office and technology expenses

 

 

4,400

 

 

 

4,368

 

Other expenses

 

 

4,168

 

 

 

5,550

 

Total Operating Expenses

 

 

49,782

 

 

 

61,205

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before Income Taxes

 

 

1,561

 

 

 

7,793

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for Income Taxes

 

 

380

 

 

 

1,608

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Income

 

$

1,181

 

 

$

6,185

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Earnings per Common Share

 

$

0.62

 

 

$

3.26

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic

 

 

1,897

 

 

 

1,896

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted Earnings per Common Share

 

$

0.62

 

 

$

3.25

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted

 

 

1,897

 

 

 

1,903

 

   

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

March 31, 2023

 

December 31, 2022

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

29,555

 

$

35,311

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

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

 

52,210

 

 

53,989

Equity securities, at fair value

 

42,800

 

 

51,691

Short-term investments

 

105,662

 

 

103,649

Other investments

 

18,948

 

 

18,368

Total investments

 

219,620

 

 

227,697

 

 

 

 

Premiums and fees receivable

 

16,827

 

 

19,047

Accrued interest and dividends

 

915

 

 

872

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

 

11,315

 

 

11,095

Property, net

 

19,154

 

 

17,785

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net

 

17,265

 

 

17,611

Lease assets

 

6,671

 

 

6,707

Other assets

 

2,475

 

 

2,458

Current income taxes recoverable

 

—

 

 

1,174

Total Assets

$

323,797

 

$

339,757

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

Reserve for claims

$

36,918

 

$

37,192

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

31,216

 

 

47,050

Lease liabilities

 

6,826

 

 

6,839

Current income taxes payable

 

1,148

 

 

—

Deferred income taxes, net

 

5,851

 

 

7,665

Total liabilities

 

81,959

 

 

98,746

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ Equity:

 

 

 

Common stock – no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,898 and 1,897 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary)

 

—

 

 

—

Retained earnings

 

241,278

 

 

240,811

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

560

 

 

200

Total stockholders’ equity

 

241,838

 

 

241,011

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$

323,797

 

$

339,757

   

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Direct and Agency Net Premiums Written

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2023

%

2022

%

Direct

$

12,714

32.6

$

22,692

35.9

 

 

 

 

 

Agency

 

26,252

67.4

 

40,433

64.1

 

 

 

 

 

Total

$

38,966

100.0

$

63,125

100.0

   

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries Appendix A Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (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 the Company's 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. Note that, in periods with significant sales of investment securities, unrealized gains/losses as presented may not necessarily reflect portfolio performance due to reclassifications of unrealized gains/losses to realized gains/losses when such sales are made. Management believes that these non-GAAP 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,

 

2023

 

2022

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

 

 

Total revenues (GAAP)

$

51,343

 

$

68,998

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

 

6,790

 

 

5,915

Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP)

$

58,133

 

$

74,913

 

 

 

 

Income before Income Taxes

 

 

 

Income before income taxes (GAAP)

$

1,561

 

$

7,793

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

 

6,790

 

 

5,915

Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP)

$

8,351

 

$

13,708

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230504005855/en/

Elizabeth B. Lewter Telephone: (919) 968-2200