ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
References to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company,” or “the Company” refer to Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (“GLRE”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Greenlight Reinsurance, Ltd, (“Greenlight Re”), Greenlight Reinsurance Ireland, Designated Activity Company (“GRIL”), Greenlight Re Marketing (UK) Limited (“Greenlight Re UK”) and Verdant Holding Company, Ltd. (“Verdant”), unless the context dictates otherwise. References to our “Ordinary Shares” refer collectively to our Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B Ordinary Shares.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, which appear elsewhere in this filing.
The following is a discussion and analysis of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and financial condition at December 31, 2021 and 2020.
We have omitted discussion of the earliest of the three years covered by our consolidated financial statements presented in this report because we included that disclosure in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2021. You are encouraged to reference Part II, Item 7, within that report, for a discussion of our financial condition and result of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, compared to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
General
We are a global specialty property and casualty reinsurer headquartered in the Cayman Islands, with a reinsurance and investment strategy that we believe differentiates us from most of our competitors. Our goal is to build long-term shareholder value by providing risk management solutions to the insurance, reinsurance, and other risk marketplaces. We focus on delivering risk solutions to clients and brokers who value our expertise, analytics, and customer service offerings.
We aim to complement our underwriting activities with a non-traditional investment approach designed to achieve higher rates of return over the long term than reinsurance companies that exclusively employ more traditional investment strategies. Our investment portfolio is managed according to a value-oriented philosophy, in which our investment advisor takes long positions in perceived undervalued securities and short positions in perceived overvalued securities. In 2018, we launched our Greenlight Re Innovations unit, which supports technology innovators in the (re)insurance market by providing investment, risk capacity, and access to a broad insurance network.
Because we seek to capitalize on favorable market conditions and opportunities, period-to-period comparisons of our underwriting results may not be meaningful. Also, our historical investment results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Due to the nature of our reinsurance and investment strategies, our operating results will likely fluctuate from period to period.
The Company’s subsidiaries hold an A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) with a stable outlook.
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Outlook and Trends
During 2021, we saw improved rates in most of the classes of business we write, which enabled us to selectively expand our specialty book while taking advantage of improved rates. Our in-force portfolio reflects increased diversification across the classes of business we write and a lower concentration of risk to individual counterparties than at any time in our history.
After another year of significant property catastrophe losses in 2021, it is not clear to us how the reinsurance market will respond. We believe that structural problems within the “pure catastrophe” class will limit premium rate increases in the class. However, we believe that the recent property catastrophe losses will help support and extend the generally favorable market conditions in most other classes. We expect that higher inflation, resulting in higher interest rates, may dampen some support for overall pricing conditions.
Over the past four years, our underwriting portfolio has become considerably more diversified as we have shifted our underwriting away from being dominated by a small number of large accounts. This diversification has also exposed us to a wider array of global insurance events, but we believe that taking on risk that is well priced, diversified and risk-managed, is key to achieving optimal underwriting results.
We continue to be encouraged by our Innovations unit, whose central objective is to enhance our underwriting product and quality of return by establishing a range of strategic partnerships. Underwriting business derived from Innovations business represented approximately 6% of our total written premium during 2021, and we see the potential for significant growth from Innovations-derived underwriting opportunities going forward.
In January 2022, we received in-principle approval from Lloyd’s to establish an insurtech-focused syndicate (“Syndicate 3456”). We expect Syndicate 3456 to enable us to provide capacity to our growing portfolio of Innovations partners. We anticipate Syndicate 3456 to commence operations in the second quarter of 2022.
Segments
We have one operating segment, Property & Casualty reinsurance, and we analyze our business based on the following categories:
● Property
● Casualty
● Other
Property business covers automobile physical damage, personal lines, and commercial lines exposures. Property business includes both catastrophe and non-catastrophe coverage. We expect catastrophe business to make up a small proportion of our property business.
Casualty business covers general liability, motor liability, professional liability, and workers’ compensation exposures. The Company’s multi-line business relates predominantly to casualty reinsurance, and as such, the Company includes all multi-line business within the casualty category. Casualty business generally has losses reported and paid over a longer period than property business. We categorize Lloyd’s syndicate contracts, which incorporate incidental catastrophe exposure, as multi-line (and therefore casualty) business.
Other business covers accident and health, financial lines (including transactional liability, mortgage insurance, surety, and trade credit), marine, energy, and to a lesser extent, other specialty business such as aviation, crop, cyber, political, and terrorism exposures.
Revenues
We derive our revenues from two principal sources:
● premiums from reinsurance on property and casualty business assumed; and
● income from investments.
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We recognize premiums written as revenues, net of any applicable underlying reinsurance coverage, over the term of the related policy or contract. Depending on the contract structure, the earnings period could be the same as the reinsurance contract or based on the terms of the underlying insurance policies.
Income from our investments is primarily composed of:
● income (or loss) generated from our investment in SILP;
● interest income from money market funds; and
● interest income and gains (or losses) from promissory notes receivable.
In addition, we may from time to time derive other income from interest on deposit accounted contracts, fees generated from advisory services, and fees relating to overrides, profit commissions, and the contractual fees upon early termination of contracts.
Expenses
Our expenses consist primarily of the following:
● underwriting losses and loss adjustment expenses;
● acquisition costs;
● general and administrative expenses;
● interest expense; and
● investment-related expenses.
The extent of our loss and LAE is a function of the amount and type of reinsurance contracts we write and the loss experience of the underlying coverage. As described below, loss and loss adjustment expenses include an actuarially determined estimate of losses incurred, including losses incurred during the period and changes in estimates from prior periods. The period over which we pay loss and LAE reserves depends on the nature of the coverage provided and generally extends over a period of multiple years.
Acquisition costs consist primarily of brokerage fees, ceding commissions, premium taxes, profit commissions, letters of credit and trust fees, and federal excise taxes. We amortize deferred acquisition costs relating to successfully bound reinsurance contracts over the related contract term.
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and benefits and related costs, including costs associated with our incentive compensation plan, bonuses, and stock compensation expenses. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees, travel and entertainment, information technology, rent and other general operating costs. General and administrative expenses reported on our consolidated statements of operations include both underwriting and corporate expenses.
For stock option expenses, we calculate compensation cost using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recognize the associated expense over the stock options’ vesting periods, which vary and have historically ranged from zero to six years. For restricted stock awards and restricted stock units with only service conditions, we calculate compensation cost using each award’s grant date fair value and recognize the associated expense of the stock awards over their vesting periods, which typically range from one to three years. For restricted stock awards that include both service and performance conditions, we recognize the associated expense when we determine that it is probable that the performance conditions will be achieved.
Interest expense consists of interest paid and accrued on senior convertible notes and the amortization of (i) issuance expenses, and (ii) the note discount. In addition, we incur interest expense on deposit accounted contracts.
Investment-related expenses primarily consist of management fees and performance compensation paid to the investment advisor. We net these expenses against investment income (loss) in our consolidated financial statements.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements contain certain amounts that are inherently subjective and have required management to make assumptions and best estimates to determine reported values. If certain factors, including those described in “Part I. Item IA. — Risk Factors,” cause actual events or results to differ materially from our underlying assumptions or estimates, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity. We believe that the following accounting policies affect the more significant estimates used to prepare our consolidated financial statements. We have summarized the descriptions below for clarity. We have included a more detailed description of our significant accounting policies and recently issued accounting standards in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.
Premium Revenues and Risk Transfer. We record our property and casualty reinsurance premiums as premiums written based upon contract terms and information received from ceding companies and their brokers. Excess of loss reinsurance contracts typically state premiums as a percentage of the subject premiums written by the client, subject to a minimum and deposit premium. The minimum and deposit premium is generally based on an estimate of subject premiums expected to be written by the client during the contract term. The minimum and deposit premium is reported initially as premiums written and adjusted, if necessary, in subsequent periods once the actual subject premium is known.
Certain contracts provide for reinstatement premiums in the event of a loss. Reinstatement premiums are written and earned when a triggering loss event occurs.
Our clients estimate the gross premiums written at the contract’s inception for each proportional contract we underwrite. Our underwriters utilize the client’s estimate to determine our best estimate, which we use to initially account for such premiums. In subsequent periods, we adjust our estimates based on our client’s actual reports and our expectations of industry developments. As the contract progresses, we monitor actual premiums received in conjunction with the client’s correspondence to refine our estimate. Variances from initial gross premiums written estimates are generally greater for proportional contracts than for non-proportional contracts. We earn premiums on proportional contracts over the risk coverage period. Unearned premiums represent the unexpired portion of reinsurance provided.
At the inception of each of our reinsurance contracts, we receive premium estimates from the client, which we use in conjunction with historical and industry data to estimate what we believe will be the ultimate premium payable under each contract. We receive actual premiums written by each client as the client reports the actual results of the underlying insurance writings to us monthly or quarterly (depending on the contract). We book the actual premiums written when we receive them from our client. Each reporting period, we estimate the premiums written for stub periods that have not yet been reported to us by the client. For example, at year-end, we may have to estimate December premiums ceded under certain contracts since the client may not be required to report the actual results to us until after we have issued our audited consolidated financial statements. Typically, we only use premium estimates for unreported stub periods, which account for a small percentage of our total premiums written.
We confirm the accuracy and completeness of premiums reported by our clients by reviewing the client’s statutory filings or performing an audit of the client under the contract terms. Discrepancies between premiums ceded and reported under a contract are, in our experience, rare. To date, we have not had any material difference in premiums reported by a client that required a formal dispute resolution process.
Assessing whether a reinsurance contract meets the conditions for risk transfer requires judgment. The determination of risk transfer is critical to reporting premiums written and is based, in part, on the use of actuarial and pricing models and assumptions. If we determine that a reinsurance contract does not transfer sufficient risk to merit reinsurance accounting treatment, we report the premium we receive as a deposit liability. Similarly, we report the premium we pay as a deposit asset for ceded contracts that do not transfer sufficient risk to merit reinsurance accounting. Any income and expense on deposit accounted contracts is calculated using the interest method and recorded in the consolidated statements of operations under the captions “Other income (expense)” and “Deposit interest expense,” respectively.
Investments. We carry our investment in SILP at fair value, based on the most recent net asset value obtained from SILP’s third-party administrator. The caption “Other investments” in our consolidated balance sheets includes private and unlisted equity securities that do not have readily determinable fair values. We determine these private equity securities’ carrying value based on the original cost, less impairment, plus or minus observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. At each reporting date, we qualitatively consider whether the investment is impaired on the basis of certain impairment indicators. If we determine that the equity security is impaired on the basis of the qualitative assessment, we recognize an impairment loss in the caption “Net investment income (loss)” in the consolidated statements of operations. We determine realized gains and losses from other investments based on the specific identification
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method (by reference to cost or amortized cost, as appropriate). These gains and losses are included in the captions “Net investment income (loss)” in the consolidated statements of operations.
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves. The process of estimating our loss and LAE reserves involves a considerable degree of judgment, and our estimates as of any given date are inherently uncertain. Estimating loss and LAE reserves requires us to make assumptions regarding reporting and development patterns, frequency and severity trends, claims settlement practices, potential changes in legal environments, inflation, loss amplification, foreign exchange movements, and other factors. These estimates and judgments are based on numerous considerations and are often revised as (i) we receive changes in loss amounts reported by ceding companies and brokers; (ii) we obtain additional information, experience, or other data; (iii) we develop new or improved methodologies; or (iv) we observe changes in the legal environment.
Our loss and LAE reserves relating to short-tail property risks are typically reported to us and settled more promptly than those relating to our long-tail risks. However, the timeliness of loss reporting can be affected by such factors as the nature of the event causing the loss, the location of the loss, whether the loss is from policies in force with primary insurers or with reinsurers, and where our exposure falls within the cedent’s overall reinsurance program.
Our loss and LAE reserves are composed of case reserves (based on claims reported to us) and IBNR reserves, including the associated claims handling costs.
We determine case reserve estimates based on loss reports received. We determine our IBNR reserve estimates using standard actuarial methods as well as a combination of our own historical and current loss experience, insurance industry loss experience, assessments of pricing adequacy trends, and our professional judgment. In estimating our IBNR reserve, we estimate the total ultimate loss and LAE we expect to incur and subtract paid claims and case reserves.
The nature and extent of our judgment in the reserving process depend in part upon the type of business. Some of our property treaty reinsurance contracts represent business with a low frequency of claims occurrence and a high potential loss severity, such as claims arising from natural catastrophes. Given the nature of these events and the losses generated by them, traditional actuarial reserving methods may not prove to be reliable indicators of the final outcome. As such, for contracts or losses of this type, we estimate the ultimate cost associated with a single loss event rather than perform analysis on the historical development patterns of past losses as a means of estimating the ultimate losses for an entire accident year. We estimate our reserves for these large events on a contract-by-contract basis by reviewing policies with known or potential exposure to a particular loss event.
For non-catastrophe losses, we apply standard actuarial methodologies in setting reserves, including paid and incurred loss development, Bornheutter-Ferguson, burning cost, and frequency and severity techniques. We supplement our analysis with industry loss ratio and development pattern information in conjunction with our own experience. The weight given to a particular method will depend on many factors, including the homogeneity within the class of business, the volume of losses, the maturity of the accident year, and the length of the expected development tail. For example, the expected loss ratio method assumes that the ratio of premiums and losses remains constant. In contrast, development methods rely on observable patterns within reported losses, both historical and newly reported, to establish a view of the ultimate loss incurred. Therefore, as an accident year matures, we may migrate from an expected loss ratio method to an incurred development method.
As a predominantly broker-market reinsurer for both excess-of-loss and proportional contracts, we rely on loss information reported to brokers by primary insurers who, in turn, must estimate their losses at the policy level, often based on incomplete and changing information. The information we receive varies by cedent and may include paid losses, estimated case reserves, and an estimated provision for IBNR reserves. Reserving practices and data-reporting quality differ among ceding companies, which adds further uncertainty to our estimation of ultimate losses. The nature and extent of information received from ceding companies and brokers also vary widely depending on the type of coverage, the contractual reporting terms (which are affected by market conditions and practices), and other factors. Due to the lack of standardization of the terms and conditions of reinsurance contracts, the differences in coverage provided to individual clients, and the tendency of those coverages to change rapidly in response to market conditions, we cannot always reliably measure the ongoing economic impact of such uncertainties and inconsistencies.
Time lags are inherent in loss reporting, especially in the case of excess-of-loss reinsurance contracts. The combined characteristics of low claim frequency and high claim severity make the available data less useful for predicting ultimate losses.
In the case of proportional contracts, we rely on an analysis of a cedent’s historical experience, industry information, and the underwriters’ professional judgment in estimating reserves. We also utilize ultimate loss ratio forecasts when reported by cedents and brokers, which are ordinarily subject to three to six-month lags for proportional business. Due to the degree of reliance we place on ceding companies for claims reporting, our reserve estimates are highly dependent on ceding companies’
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judgment. Furthermore, during the loss settlement period, which may last several years, additional facts regarding individual claims and trends will often become known, and case law may change, affecting ultimate expected losses.
Since we rely on ceding company data in the process of establishing our loss and LAE reserves, we maintain procedures designed to mitigate the risk that such information is incomplete or inaccurate. These procedures include: (i) comparisons of expected premiums to reported premiums, which helps us to identify delinquent client periodic reports; (ii) ceding company audits to identify inaccurate or incomplete reporting of claims and ensure that claims are actively and appropriately managed in line with agreed protocols and settlement authority limits; and (iii) underwriting reviews to ascertain that the losses ceded are covered as provided under the contract terms. Each subsequent year of loss experience with a given cedent provides additional insight into the accuracy and timeliness of previously reported information. These procedures are incorporated in our internal controls and are regularly evaluated and amended as market conditions, risk factors, and unanticipated areas of exposure develop.
We monitor the development of our prior-year losses during subsequent calendar years by comparing the actual reported losses against previous estimates and current expectations. The analysis of this loss development is an essential factor in the ongoing refinement of our reserving assumptions.
Estimating loss reserves for our book of longer-tail casualty reinsurance business, which we write on both a proportional and non-proportional basis, involves further uncertainties. In addition to the uncertainties described above, casualty business can be subject to longer reporting lags than property business, and claims often take several years to settle. During this period, additional factors and trends will be revealed, and, as they become apparent, we may adjust our reserves accordingly. There is also the potential for the emergence of new types of losses within our casualty book. Therefore, any factors that extend the time until our cedents settle claims add uncertainty to the reserving process.
The uncertainties inherent in the reserving process, together with the potential for unforeseen developments, including changes in laws and the prevailing interpretation of policy terms, may result in our loss and LAE reserves being materially greater or less than the loss and LAE reserves we initially established. We reflect adjustments to our loss and LAE reserves in our financial results during the period in which they are determined. Changes to our prior year loss reserves will impact our current underwriting results by improving our results if the prior year reserves prove redundant or impairing our results if the prior year reserves prove insufficient.
We believe that our reserves for loss and LAE are sufficient to cover losses that fall within the terms of our policies and agreements with our insured and reinsured customers based on the methodologies used to estimate those reserves. However, we can provide no assurance that actual losses will not (i) be less than or (ii) exceed our total established reserves.
Please refer to Notes 2 and 7 of our consolidated financial statements for a more detailed explanation of our loss reserving methodology and the loss development tables by accident year, respectively, as required under U.S. GAAP.
Share-Based Payments. We have established a stock incentive plan for directors, employees, and consultants. We recognize share-based compensation transactions using the fair value at the award’s grant date. We calculate the compensation for restricted stock awards and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) based on the price of the Company’s common shares at the grant date. We recognize the associated expense, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, over the vesting period and incorporate the probability of meeting any performance conditions. We estimate the forfeiture rate for restricted stock awards and RSUs based on our historical experience and expectations of future forfeitures. The forfeiture rate reduces the unamortized grant date fair value of unvested outstanding restricted stock awards and RSUs and the associated stock compensation expense. As restricted shares and RSUs are forfeited, we reduce the number of outstanding restricted shares and RSUs and compare the remaining unamortized grant date fair value to the assumed forfeiture levels. We record true-up adjustments as deemed necessary. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we have assumed a forfeiture rate of 9.0% (2020: 7.0% and 2019: 7.0%) for restricted stock awards and RSUs granted.
We recognize the expense of share purchase options over the vesting period on a graded vesting basis. Determining the fair value of share option awards at the grant date requires significant estimation and judgment. We use an option-pricing model (Black-Scholes pricing model) to assist in calculating fair value. We base the estimate of expected volatility on our Class A ordinary shares’ daily historical trading data from the date these shares commenced trading (May 24, 2007) to the grant date.
If actual results differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions, particularly concerning our estimation of volatility and forfeiture rates, share-based compensation expense, primarily relating to future share-based awards, could be materially impacted.
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Key Financial Measures and Non-GAAP Measures
Basic Book Value Per Share and Fully Diluted Book Value Per Share
We believe that long-term growth in fully diluted book value per share is the most relevant measure of our financial performance because it provides management and investors a yardstick to monitor the shareholder value generated. Fully diluted book value per share may also help our investors, shareholders, and other interested parties form a basis of comparison with other companies within the property and casualty reinsurance industry.
We calculate basic book value per share based on ending shareholders' equity and aggregate of Class A and Class B Ordinary shares issued and outstanding, as well as all unvested restricted shares. Fully diluted book value per share represents basic book value per share combined with any dilutive impact of in-the-money stock options, and RSUs issued and outstanding at any period end. Fully diluted book value per share also includes the dilutive effect, if any, of ordinary shares to be issued upon conversion of the convertible notes.
Our primary financial goal is to increase fully diluted book value per share over the long term.
The following table presents the calculation of basic and fully diluted book value per share for the recent periods.
($ in thousands, except per share and share amounts)
Numerator for basic and fully diluted book value per share:
Denominator for basic and fully diluted book value per share: (1)
Increase (decrease) in basic book value per share ($) $ 0.58 $ 0.57 $ (0.22)
Increase (decrease) in basic book value per share (%) 4.3 % 4.4 % (1.7) %
(1) All unvested restricted shares, including those with performance conditions, are included in the “basic” and “fully diluted” denominators. At December 31, 2021, the number of unvested restricted shares with performance conditions was 193,149 (December 31, 2020: 193,149, December 31, 2019: 356,900).
Management also uses certain key financial measures, some of which are not prescribed under U.S. GAAP rules and standards (“non-GAAP financial measures”), to evaluate our financial performance, financial position, and the change in shareholder value. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure, as defined in SEC Regulation G, is a numerical measure of a company’s historical or future financial performance, financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented under U.S. GAAP. We believe that these measures, which may be calculated or defined differently by other companies, provide consistent and comparable metrics of our business performance to help shareholders understand performance trends and allow for a more thorough understanding of the Company’s business. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined under U.S. GAAP.
The key non-GAAP financial measures used in this report are:
• Adjusted combined ratio; and
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• Net underwriting income (loss).
These non-GAAP measures are described below.
Adjusted combined ratio
“Combined ratio” is a commonly used measure in the property and casualty insurance industry and is calculated using U.S. GAAP components. We use the combined ratio, along with an analysis of significant drivers, to evaluate our underwriting performance. During 2020, in an effort to further evaluate our underwriting performance, we introduced the “adjusted combined ratio,” a non-GAAP measure that excludes the effects of underwriting losses attributable to (i) prior accident-year reserve development, (ii) catastrophe losses, and (iii) certain significant, infrequent loss events. we have since determined that the use of this measure does not significantly enhance our or investors’ understanding of the underlying trends or variability in our underwriting results. Accordingly, we do not intend to use or disclose our adjusted combined ratio in future periods.
In calculating the adjusted combined ratio, we exclude underwriting income and losses attributable to (i) prior accident-year reserve development, (ii) catastrophe events, and (iii) other significant infrequent adjustments.
Prior accident-year reserve development, which can be favorable or unfavorable, represents changes in our estimates of losses and loss adjustment expenses associated with loss events that occurred in prior years.
By their nature, catastrophe events and other significant infrequent adjustments are not representative of the type of loss activity that we would expect to occur in every period.
The following table reconciles the combined ratio to the adjusted combined ratio:
Year ended December 31
Impact on combined ratio of selected items:
Prior-year development (1.5) % 0.8 % 6.2 %
Catastrophes (current year) 6.1 % 2.0 % 3.6 %
Other adjustments 2.2 % 1.6 % — %
• The caption “Other adjustments” represents, for the year ended December 31, 2021, interest income and expense on deposit-accounted contracts due to changes in the associated estimated ultimate cash flows and, for the year ended December 31, 2020, losses relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Net Underwriting Income (Loss)
One way that we evaluate the Company’s underwriting performance is by measuring net underwriting income (loss). We do not use premiums written as a measure of performance. Net underwriting income (loss) is a performance measure used by management to evaluate the fundamentals underlying the Company’s underwriting operations. We believe that the use of net underwriting income (loss) enables investors and other users of the Company’s financial information to analyze our performance in a manner similar to how management analyzes performance. Management also believes that this measure follows industry practice and allows the users of financial information to compare the Company’s performance with that of our industry peer group.
Net underwriting income (loss) is considered a non-GAAP financial measure because it excludes items used to calculate net income before taxes under U.S. GAAP. We calculate net underwriting income (loss) as net premiums earned, plus other income relating to reinsurance and deposit-accounted contracts, less deposit interest expense, less net loss and loss adjustment expenses, acquisition costs, and underwriting expenses. The measure excludes, on a recurring basis: (1) investment income (loss); (2) other income (expense) not related to underwriting, including foreign exchange gains or losses and adjustments to the allowance for expected credit losses; (3) corporate general and administrative expenses; and (4) interest expense. We exclude total investment income or loss, foreign exchange gains or losses, and expected credit losses as we believe these items are influenced by market conditions and other factors not related to underwriting decisions. We exclude corporate and interest expenses because these costs are generally fixed and not incremental to or directly related to our underwriting operations. We believe all of these amounts are largely independent of our underwriting process, and including them could hinder the analysis
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of trends in our underwriting operations. Net underwriting income (loss) should not be viewed as a substitute for U.S. GAAP net income before income taxes.
The reconciliations of net underwriting income (loss) to income (loss) before income taxes (the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure) on a consolidated basis are shown below:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
Add (subtract):
Other non-underwriting (income) expense 880 (686) 467
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Results of Operations
The table below summarizes our operating results for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019:
(in thousands, except percentages)
Underwriting revenue
Underwriting related expenses
Net loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred
Deposit accounting and other reinsurance expense (income) 11,655 (2,463) (2,773)
Earnings (loss) per share
Underwriting ratios
Loss ratio - current year 72.1 % 73.1 % 73.9 %
Loss ratio - prior year (2.6) % 1.1 % 6.4 %
Underwriting expense ratio 4.5 % 2.2 % 2.4 %
* The net financial impacts associated with changes in the estimate of losses incurred in prior years, which incorporate earned reinstatement premiums assumed and ceded, and adjustments to assumed and ceded acquisition costs, were a gain of $8.3 million in 2021, and a loss of $3.7 million and $30.1 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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Year ended 2021 compared to 2020
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the fully diluted book value per share increased by $0.57 per share, or 4.2%, to $13.99 per share from $13.42 per share on December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the basic book value per share increased by $0.58, or 4.3%, to $14.05 per share from $13.47 per share on December 31, 2020. The increases in basic and fully diluted book value per share for the year ended December 31, 2021, were due primarily to share repurchases executed and net income earned.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, net income increased to $17.6 million, compared to $3.9 million reported for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The developments that most significantly affected our financial performance during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the equivalent 2020 period, are summarized below:
•Underwriting: The underwriting loss for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $5.2 million on net earned premiums of $539.3 million. By comparison, the underwriting loss for the same period in 2020 was $1.6 million on net earned premiums of $455.4 million. The underwriting loss for the year ended December 31, 2021, included $11.7 million of expense related to deposit accounted contracts that we wrote in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The expense recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to changes in the associated estimated ultimate cash flow resulting from higher than expected losses reported by the cedents.
Catastrophe events during the year ended December 31, 2021, including Hurricane Ida, winter storm Uri, the European floods and hailstorms, U.S.tornados, and the South African riots contributed $32.7 million to the underwriting loss. By comparison, the catastrophe events during the year ended December 31, 2020, including hurricanes Laura, Isaias, and Sally, the Midwest derecho storms, and North American wildfires, contributed $9.0 million to the underwriting loss. Additionally, COVID-19 contributed $7.1 million to the underwriting loss for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Our overall combined ratio was 100.9% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 100.4% during the same period in 2020. The catastrophe events listed above during the year ended December 31, 2021, contributed 6.1 percentage points to our combined ratio, compared to 2.0 percentage points from catastrophe events during 2020.
•Investments: Our total investment income for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $50.2 million compared to total investment income of $25.5 million reported during 2020. Investment income for the year ended December 31, 2021, included (a) $18.1 million on our investment in SILP, (b) $19.5 million of unrealized gain on our Innovations and other strategic investments and (c) $14.2 million realized gain on the sale of our investment in AccuRisk.
Underwriting results
We analyze our business based on three categories: “property,” “casualty,” and “other.”
Gross Premiums Written
Details of gross premiums written are provided in the following table:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
As a result of our underwriting philosophy, the total premiums we write and the mix of premiums between property, casualty, and other business, may vary significantly from period to period depending on the market opportunities we identify.
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For the year ended December 31, 2021, our gross premiums written increased by $85.6 million, or 17.8%, compared to the same period in 2020. The changes in gross premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2021, were attributable to the following:
Gross Premiums Written
Increase (decrease) ($ in millions) % change Explanation
Premiums Ceded
The level of premiums ceded during the year ended December 31, 2021, was insignificant. The $2.3 million of ceded premium for the year ended December 31, 2020, related to the retroceded portion of our exposure to a motor contract. In general, we use retrocessional coverage to manage our net portfolio exposure, leverage areas of expertise, and improve our strategic position in meeting clients’ needs.
Net Premiums Written
Details of net premiums written are provided in the following table:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
The movement in net premiums written resulted from the changes in gross premiums written and ceded during the periods.
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Net Premiums Earned
Details of net premiums earned are provided in the following table:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
Net premiums earned are primarily a function of the amount and timing of net premiums written during the current and prior periods.
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expenses Incurred, Net
Details of net losses incurred are provided in the following table:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
The below table summarizes the loss ratios for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020:
Year ended December 31
2021 2020 Increase / (decrease) in loss ratio points
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The changes in net losses incurred and loss ratios during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, were attributable to the following:
See “Part II, Item 7. Summary of Critical Accounting Estimates, Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves” and “Note 7. LOSS AND LOSS ADJUSTMENT EXPENSE RESERVES” in our Notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional discussion of our reserving techniques and prior year development of net claims and claim expenses.
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Acquisition Costs, Net
Details of acquisition costs are provided in the following table.
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
The acquisition cost ratios for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020, were as follows:
The changes in the acquisition cost ratios during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, were attributable to the following:
Increase / (decrease) in acquisition cost ratio points Explanation
General and Administrative Expenses
Details of general and administrative expenses are provided in the following table:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
General and administrative expenses $ 29,369 $ 26,401
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For the year ended December 31, 2021, general and administrative expenses increased by $3.0 million, or 11.2%, compared to the same period in 2020. The increase was due primarily to (i) our Innovations unit, (ii) directors’ and officers’ insurance premiums, (iii) personnel costs, and (iv) information system and technology. The increase was partially offset by lower legal and other professional fees compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. For the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020, the general and administrative expenses included $3.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively, of expenses related to stock compensation granted to employees and directors.
Total Investment Income (Loss)
Total investment income (loss) incorporates (i) changes in the net asset value of our investment in SILP managed by DME Advisors, (ii) interest income earned on the restricted cash and cash equivalents pledged as collateral to our clients, and (iii) gains (or losses) and interest on our portfolio of strategic and Innovations investments, notes receivable and investments accounted for under the equity method. We expect our total investment income, including any change in the net asset value of our investment in SILP, to fluctuate from period to period.
A summary of our total investment income (loss) is as follows:
Year ended December 31
($ in thousands)
Change in unrealized gains and losses 19,560 25,909
Investment-related foreign exchange gains (losses) (45) 39
Interest and dividend income, net of withholding taxes 200 5,419
Interest, dividend, and other expenses (1,860) (1,875)
Income (loss) from equity method investment — 843
Net investment-related income (loss) $ 32,065 $ 21,101
Income (loss) from investments in related party investment fund 18,087 4,431
The caption “Income (loss) from investment in related party investment fund” in the above table is net of management fees paid by SILP to DME Advisors and performance compensation, if any, allocated from the Company’s investment in SILP to DME II. No performance compensation is allocated in periods of loss reported by SILP. For detailed breakdowns of management fees and performance compensation for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020, please refer to Note 3 of the consolidated financial statements.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, investment income, net of fees and expenses, resulted in a gain of 7.5% on the Investment Portfolio managed by DME Advisors, compared to a gain of 1.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020. The long portfolio gained 24.3% while the short portfolio and macro positions lost 7.9% and 6.0%, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the largest contributors to SILP’s investment income were long positions in Atlas Air Worldwide (AAWW), Brighthouse Financial (BHF), CONSOL Energy (CEIX), Green Brick Partners (GRBK), and Teck Resources (TECK). The largest detractors were various short positions composed of single names and indexes.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the decrease in interest and dividend income compared to the equivalent period in 2020 resulted from lower interest rates offered by financial institutions on the restricted cash and cash equivalents pledged as collateral to our clients.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded net unrealized gains of $19.5 million on our Innovations-related investment portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we also realized a $14.2 million gain (pre-tax) from the sale of our investment in AccuRisk.
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For the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020, the gross investment return (loss) on our investments managed by DME Advisors (excluding investment advisor performance allocation) was composed of the following:
Long portfolio gains (losses) 24.3 % 15.3 %
Short portfolio gains (losses) (7.9) % (13.5) %
Macro gains (losses) (6.0) % 0.4 %
Other income and expenses 1 (2.1) % (0.7) %
Gross investment return 8.3 % 1.5 %
Net investment return 1 7.5 % 1.4 %
1 “Other income and expenses” excludes performance compensation but includes management fees. “Net investment return” incorporates both of these amounts.
Effective January 1, 2021, the Investment Portfolio is calculated based on 50% of GLRE Surplus, or the Company's shareholders' equity, as reported in the Company’s then most recent quarterly U.S. GAAP financial statements. It is adjusted monthly for our share of the net profits and net losses reported by SILP during any intervening period. Prior to January 1, 2021, the Investment Portfolio was calculated based on several factors, including our share of SILP’s net asset value and our posted collateral and net reserves.
Each month, we post on our website (www.greenlightre.com) the returns from our investment in SILP.
Income Taxes
We are not obligated to pay taxes in the Cayman Islands on either income or capital gains. The Governor-In-Cabinet has granted us an exemption from any income taxes that may be imposed in the Cayman Islands for the 20 years expiring February 1, 2025.
GRIL is incorporated in Ireland and is subject to the Irish corporation tax. We expect GRIL to be taxed at 12.5% on its taxable trading income and 25% on its non-trading income if any.
Verdant is incorporated in Delaware and is subject to taxes under the U.S. federal rates and regulations prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service. We expect Verdant’s future taxable income to be taxed at 21%. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the income tax expense of $3.7 million was due primarily to the gain on the sale of our investment in AccuRisk.
At December 31, 2021, we have included a gross deferred tax asset of $3.2 million (December 31, 2020: $3.5 million) in the caption “Other assets” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2021, a valuation allowance of $2.7 million (December 31, 2020: $3.0 million) partially offset this gross deferred tax asset. We have concluded that it is more likely than not that the Company will fully realize the recorded deferred tax asset (net of the valuation allowance) in the future. We have based this conclusion on the expected timing of the reversal of the temporary differences and the likelihood of generating sufficient taxable income to realize the future tax benefit. We have not taken any other tax positions that we believe are subject to uncertainty or reasonably likely to have a material impact on the Company.
Ratio Analysis
The following table provides our underwriting ratios by line of business:
Year ended December 31 Year ended December 31
Property Casualty Other Total Property Casualty Other Total
Underwriting expense ratio 4.5 2.2
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Financial Condition
Total investments
The total investments reported in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2021, was $231.0 million, compared to $196.2 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of $34.8 million, or 17.7%. The increase was primarily related to income from our Innovations investments and our investment in SILP.
At December 31, 2021, 94.1% of SILP’s portfolio was valued based on quoted prices in actively traded markets (Level 1), 2.9% was composed of instruments valued based on observable inputs other than quoted prices (Level 2), and 0.6% was composed of instruments valued based on non-observable inputs (Level 3). At December 31, 2021, 2.4% of SILP’s portfolio consisted of private equity funds valued using the funds’ net asset values as a practical expedient. At December 31, 2021, our Innovations investments did not have readily determinable fair values and were carried at their original cost minus impairment plus changes resulting from observable price changes.
Other than our investment in SILP (see Notes 3 and 4 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements), we have not participated in transactions that created relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, including VIEs, established to facilitate off-balance sheet arrangements.
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
We use our restricted cash and cash equivalents for funding trusts and letters of credit issued to our ceding insurers. Our restricted cash decreased by $110.6 million, or 14.8%, from $745.4 million at December 31, 2020, to $634.8 million, at December 31, 2021, primarily due to collateral released by some of our ceding insurers.
Reinsurance balances receivable
During the year ended December 31, 2021, reinsurance balances receivable increased by $75.1 million, or 22.8%, to $405.4 million from $330.2 million at December 31, 2020. This increase was related primarily to increases in our funds at Lloyd’s and funds withheld on reinsurance contracts with Lloyd’s syndicates. A decrease in premiums receivable partially offset the increase during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves; Loss and Loss Adjustment Expenses Recoverable
The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, and we do not have previous loss experience on which to base our estimates for the associated loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. See Note 7 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for assumptions used in our loss estimates relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reserves for loss and loss adjustment expenses were composed of the following:
CaseReserves IBNR Total CaseReserves IBNR Total
($ in thousands)
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the total gross loss and loss adjustment expense reserves increased by $29.8 million, or 6.0%, to $524.0 million from $494.2 million at December 31, 2020. See Note 7 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of changes in outstanding loss and loss adjustment expense reserves and a description of prior period loss developments.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the total loss and loss adjustment expenses recoverable decreased by $5.8 million, or 34.1%, to $11.1 million from $16.9 million at December 31, 2020. See Note 8 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a description of the credit risk associated with our retrocessionaires.
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For most of the contracts we write, defined limits of liability limit our risk exposure. Once each contract’s limit of liability has been reached, we have no further exposure to additional losses from that contract. However, certain contracts, particularly quota share contracts covering first-dollar exposure, may not contain aggregate limits.
Our property and Lloyd’s business, and to a lesser extent our casualty and other business, incorporate contracts that contain natural peril loss exposure. We currently monitor our catastrophe loss exposure in terms of our PML (probable maximum loss).
We anticipate that our PMLs will vary from period to period depending upon the modeled simulated losses and the composition of our in-force book of business.
We monitor our natural peril PMLs on a worldwide basis, with a particular focus on our peak peril regions. When these perils consist of a large geographic area, we split them into sub-regions, where the underlying geographic components can also be considered individual peril zones.
For our natural catastrophe PMLs, we utilize the output of catastrophe models at the 1-in-250 year return period. The 1-in-250 year return period PML means that we believe there is a 0.4% probability that in any given year, an occurrence of a natural catastrophe will lead to losses exceeding the stated estimate.
It is important to note that PMLs are best estimates based on the modeled data available for each underlying risk. As a result, we cannot provide assurance that any actual event will align with the modeled event or that actual losses from events similar to the modeled events will not vary materially from the modeled event PML.
Our PML estimates incorporate all significant exposure from our reinsurance operations, including coverage for property, marine and energy, motor, and catastrophe workers’ compensation.
At January 1, 2022, our estimated largest PML (net of retrocession and reinstatement premiums) at a 1-in-250 year return period for a single event and in aggregate was $87.6 million and $95.9 million, respectively, both relating to the peril of North Atlantic Hurricane.
The below table contains the expected modeled loss for each of our peak peril regions and sub-regions, for both a single event loss and aggregate loss measures at the 1-in-250 year return period.
Net 1-in-250 Year Return Period
Peril Single Event Loss Aggregate Loss
($ in thousands)
Total shareholders’ equity
Total equity reported on the consolidated balance sheet increased by $10.8 million to $475.7 million at December 31, 2021, compared to $464.9 million at December 31, 2020. The increase in shareholders’ equity during the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to the net income of $17.6 million reported for the year and was partially offset by share repurchases. For details of other movements in shareholders’ equity, see the “Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity.”
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
General
Greenlight Capital Re is a holding company with no operations of its own. As a holding company, Greenlight Capital Re has minimal continuing cash needs, most of which are related to the payment of corporate and general administrative expenses and interest expenses. We conduct all our underwriting operations through our wholly-owned reinsurance subsidiaries, Greenlight Re and GRIL, which underwrite property and casualty reinsurance. There are restrictions on Greenlight Re’s and GRIL’s ability to pay dividends described in more detail below. It is our current policy to retain earnings to support the growth of our business. We currently do not expect to pay dividends on our ordinary shares.
At December 31, 2021, Greenlight Re and GRIL were each rated “A- (Excellent)” with a stable outlook by A.M. Best. The ratings reflect A.M. Best’s opinion of our reinsurance subsidiaries’ financial strength, operating performance, and ability to meet obligations. They are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold our Class A ordinary shares. If A.M. Best downgrades our ratings below “A- (Excellent)” or withdraws our rating, we could be severely limited or prevented from writing any new reinsurance contracts, which would significantly and negatively affect our business. Our A.M. Best ratings may be revised or revoked at the sole discretion of the rating agency.
Some of our assumed reinsurance contracts contain provisions that permit our clients to cancel the contract or require additional collateral in the event of a downgrade in our A.M. Best ratings below A- (Excellent) or a reduction of our capital or surplus below specified levels over the course of the agreement. In the periods presented, there were no such cancellations or other adjustments relating to novations, commutations, or similar actions that had a material impact on our premiums written, net income, or liquidity position, either individually or in the aggregate.
Contracts containing such cancellation rights represented approximately 15% of gross premiums written during 2021. Further, we believe, in the event that all additional collateral requirements had been triggered at December 31, 2021, additional required collateral would equal approximately $75 million.
Sources and Uses of Funds
Our sources of funds consist primarily of premium receipts (net of brokerage and ceding commissions), investment income, and other income. We use cash from our operations to pay losses and loss adjustment expenses, profit commissions, interest, and general and administrative expenses. At December 31, 2021, all of our investable assets, excluding strategic and Innovations investments and funds required for business operations and capital risk management, are invested by DME Advisors in SILP, subject to our investment guidelines. We can redeem funds from SILP at any time for operational purposes by providing three days’ notice to the general partner. At December 31, 2021, the majority of SILP’s long investments were composed of cash and cash equivalents and publicly traded equity securities, which can be readily liquidated to meet our redemption requests. We record all investment income (loss), including any changes in the net asset value of SILP, and any unrealized gains and losses, in our consolidated statements of operations for each reporting period.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the net cash used in operating activities was $56.3 million and $91.3 million, respectively. The net cash used in operating activities was used primarily for our underwriting activities and for payment of corporate and general administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Generally, if the premiums collected exceed claim payments within a given period, we generate cash from our underwriting activities. Our underwriting activities represented a net use of cash for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, as the losses we paid exceeded the premiums we collected. The cash used in, and generated from, underwriting activities may vary significantly from period to period depending on the underwriting opportunities available and claims submitted to us by our cedents.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our investing activities provided $1.2 million of cash from redemptions from SILP (net of contributions into SILP) and $5.0 million for new Innovations investments. Investing activities also provided $26.9 million of cash from the sale of our AccuRisk investment and the collection of a note receivable from AccuRisk. By comparison, for the same period in 2020, our investing activities provided cash of $95.6 million as a result of net redemptions from SILP.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our financing activities included the repurchase of $10.0 million of our Class A ordinary shares, compared to $17.8 million of repurchases during the equivalent 2020 period.
At December 31, 2021, we believe we have sufficient cash flow from operating and investing activities to meet our foreseeable liquidity requirements. We do not expect that the recent catastrophic events, including Hurricane Ida, the European floods and hailstorm, U.S. tornados, and the COVID-19 pandemic, will materially impact our operational liquidity needs, which
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will be met by cash, funds generated from underwriting activities, and investment income, including withdrawals from SILP if necessary. At December 31, 2021, we expect to fund our operations for the next twelve months from operating and investing cash flow. However, we may explore various financing options, including capital raising alternatives, to fund our business strategy, improve our capital structure, increase surplus, pay claims or make acquisitions. We can provide no assurances regarding the terms of such transactions or that any such transactions will occur.
Although GLRE is not subject to any significant legal prohibitions on the payment of dividends, Greenlight Re and GRIL are each subject to regulatory minimum capital requirements and regulatory constraints that affect their ability to pay dividends to us. In addition, any dividend payment would have to be approved by the relevant regulatory authorities prior to payment. At December 31, 2021, Greenlight Re and GRIL exceeded their regulatory minimum capital requirements.
Letters of Credit and Trust Arrangements
At December 31, 2021, neither Greenlight Re nor GRIL was licensed or admitted as a reinsurer in any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands and the European Economic Area, respectively. Many jurisdictions do not permit domestic insurance companies to take credit on their statutory financial statements for loss recoveries or ceded unearned premiums unless appropriate measures are in place for reinsurance obtained from unlicensed or non-admitted insurers. As a result, we anticipate that all of our U.S. clients and some non-U.S. clients will require us to provide collateral through funds withheld, trust arrangements, letters of credit, or a combination thereof.
At December 31, 2021, we had one (2020: one) letter of credit facility available with an aggregate capacity of $275.0 million (2020: $275.0 million). See Note 15 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for details on the letter of credit facility. We provide collateral to cedents in the form of letters of credit and trust arrangements. At December 31, 2021, the aggregate amount of collateral provided to cedents under such arrangements was $633.9 million (2020: $743.0 million). At December 31, 2021, the letters of credit and trust accounts were secured by restricted cash and cash equivalents with a total fair value of $634.8 million (2020: $745.4 million).
The letter of credit facility contains customary events of default and restrictive covenants, including but not limited to, limitations on liens on collateral, transactions with affiliates, mergers and sales of assets, as well as solvency and maintenance of certain minimum pledged equity requirements, and restricts issuance of any debt without the consent of the letter of credit provider. Additionally, if an event of default exists, as defined in the letter of credit facility, Greenlight Re would be prohibited from paying dividends to its parent company. The Company was in compliance with all the covenants of this facility at December 31, 2021.
Capital
Our capital structure currently consists of senior convertible notes and equity issued in two classes of ordinary shares. We expect that the existing capital base and internally generated funds will be sufficient to implement our business strategy for the foreseeable future. Consequently, we do not presently anticipate that we will incur any additional material indebtedness in the ordinary course of our business. However, to provide us with flexibility and timely access to public capital markets should we require additional capital for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, or other general corporate purposes, we have filed a Form S-3 registration statement, which expires in July 2024. In addition, as noted above, we may explore various financing alternatives, although there can be no assurance that additional financing will be available on acceptable terms when needed or desired. We did not make any significant commitments for capital expenditures during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Our Board of Directors had previously extended the share repurchase plan to June 30, 2021, and authorized the repurchase of up to 5.0 million Class A ordinary shares or securities convertible into Class A ordinary shares in the open market through privately negotiated transactions or Rule 10b5-1 stock trading plans. In addition, the Board of Directors had also authorized the Company to repurchase up to $25.0 million aggregate face amount of the Company’s 4.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the “Notes”) in privately negotiated transactions, in open market repurchases, or pursuant to one or more tender offers. No Notes were repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2021.
On May 4, 2021, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase plan effective from July 1, 2021, until June 30, 2022, authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $25.0 million of Class A ordinary shares or securities convertible into Class A ordinary shares in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions or Rule 10b5-1 stock trading plans.
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The Company is not required to repurchase any Class A ordinary shares, and the repurchase plan may be modified, suspended, or terminated at the election of our Board of Directors at any time without prior notice. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 1,079,544 Class A ordinary shares.
Under the Company’s stock incentive plan, the number of Class A ordinary shares authorized for issuance is 8.0 million shares. At December 31, 2021, 3,128,276 Class A ordinary shares were available for future issuance under the Company’s stock incentive plan. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors administers the stock incentive plan.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Due to the nature of our reinsurance operations, the amount and timing of the cash flows associated with our reinsurance contractual liabilities will fluctuate, perhaps materially, and, therefore, are highly uncertain. At December 31, 2021, we estimate that we will pay the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves as follows:
Less than 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years More than 5 years Total
($ in thousands)
(1) Due to the nature of our reinsurance operations, the amount and timing of the cash flows associated with our reinsurance contractual liabilities will fluctuate, perhaps materially, and, therefore, are highly uncertain.
Greenlight Re has entered into a lease agreement for office space in the Cayman Islands commencing from July 1, 2021. The lease expires on June 30, 2026, unless Greenlight Re exercises its right to renew the lease for another five-year period. GRIL has entered into a lease agreement for office space in Dublin, Ireland commencing from October 1, 2021. This lease expires on September 30, 2031, unless GRIL exercises the break clause by providing a notice of termination at least nine months prior to September 30, 2026. The aggregate annual lease obligation ranges from $0.5 million to $0.6 million.
The Company has $100.0 million of senior convertible notes payable, which mature on August 1, 2023. The Company is obligated to make semi-annual interest payments of $2.0 million at an interest rate of 4.0% per annum. The Company has received regulatory approval to declare dividends from Greenlight Re to meet the interest payments obligation.
Pursuant to the IAA between SILP and DME Advisors, DME Advisors is entitled to a monthly management fee equal to 0.125% (1.5% on an annual basis) of each limited partner’s Investment Portfolio, as provided in the SILP LPA. The IAA has an initial term ending on August 31, 2023, subject to automatic extension for successive three-year terms. Pursuant to the SILP LPA, DME II is entitled to a performance allocation equal to 20% of the net profit, calculated per annum, of each limited partner’s share of the capital account managed by DME Advisors, subject to a loss carry-forward provision. DME II is not entitled to earn a performance allocation in a year in which SILP incurs a loss. The loss carry-forward provision contained in the SILP LPA allows DME II to earn reduced performance allocation of 10% of net profits in years subsequent to the year in which the capital accounts of the limited partners incur a loss until all losses are recouped and an additional amount equal to 150% of the loss is earned. At December 31, 2021, we estimate the reduced performance allocation of 10% to continue to be applied until SILP achieves additional investment returns of 171%, at which point the performance allocation will revert to 20%. For detailed breakdowns of management fees and performance compensation for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, please refer to Note 3 of the consolidated financial statements.
The Company has entered into a service agreement with DME Advisors pursuant to which DME Advisors will provide investor relations services to us for compensation of $5,000 per month plus expenses. The service agreement had an initial term of one year and continues for sequential one-year periods until terminated by us or DME Advisors. Either party may terminate the service agreement for any reason with 30 days prior written notice to the other party.
Our related party transactions are presented in Note 14 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
Effects of Inflation
Inflation generally affects the cost of claims and claim expenses, as well as asset values in our investment portfolio. Our pricing and reserving models incorporate the anticipated effects of inflation on our claim costs. However, we cannot predict or estimate the onset, duration, and severity of an inflationary period with precision. The actual effect of inflation may differ significantly from our estimate.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We believe we are principally exposed to the following types of market risk:
• equity price risk;
• commodity price risk;
• foreign currency risk;
• interest rate risk;
• credit risk; and
• political risk.
Equity Price Risk
At December 31, 2021, our investments consisted primarily of an investment in SILP. Among SILP’s holdings are equity securities, the carrying values of which are based primarily on quoted market prices. Generally, market prices of common equity securities are subject to fluctuation, which could cause the amount to be realized upon the closing of a position to differ significantly from its current reported value. This risk is partly mitigated by the presence of both long and short equity securities as part of our investment strategy. At December 31, 2021, a 10% decline in the price of each of the underlying listed equity securities and equity-based derivative instruments would result in a $8.8 million loss to our Investment Portfolio.
Computations of the prospective effects of hypothetical equity price changes are based on numerous assumptions, including the maintenance of the current composition of SILP’s portfolio. The computations should not be relied on as indicative of future results.
Commodity Price Risk
Generally, market prices of commodities are subject to fluctuation. SILP’s investments periodically include long or short investments in commodities or derivatives directly impacted by fluctuations in the prices of commodities. At December 31, 2021, SILP’s investments incorporate unhedged exposure to changes in gold, silver, and crude oil prices.
The following table summarizes the net impact that a 10% increase and decrease in commodity prices would have on the value of our Investment Portfolio at December 31, 2021. The below table excludes the indirect effect that changes in commodity prices might have on equity securities in our Investment Portfolio.
10% increase in commodity prices 10% decrease in commodity prices
Commodity Change infair value Change infair value
($ in millions)
Crude oil — (0.1)
Foreign Currency Risk
Certain of our reinsurance contracts are denominated in foreign currencies, whereby premiums are receivable and losses are payable in foreign currencies. Foreign currency exchange rate risk exists to the extent that our foreign currency reinsurance balances are more than (or less than) the corresponding foreign currency cash balances and there is an increase (or decrease) in the exchange rate of that foreign currency.
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While we do not seek to precisely match our liabilities under reinsurance policies that are payable in foreign currencies with investments denominated in such currencies, we continually monitor our exposure to potential foreign currency losses and may use foreign currency cash and cash equivalents or forward foreign currency exchange contracts to mitigate against adverse foreign currency movements. At December 31, 2021, our exposure to GBP denominated net reinsurance asset balance was £6.4 million. At December 31, 2021, a 10% decrease in the U.S. dollar against the GBP (all else constant) would result in an estimated $0.9 million foreign exchange gain. Alternatively, a 10% increase in the U.S dollar against the GBP would result in an estimated $0.9 million foreign exchange loss. Similarly, at December 31, 2021, our net exposure to Euro-denominated reinsurance liability balances was €5.7 million. At December 31, 2021, a 10% decrease in the U.S. dollar against the Euro (all else constant) would result in an estimated $0.7 million foreign exchange loss. Alternatively, a 10% increase in the U.S dollar against the Euro would result in an estimated $0.7 million foreign exchange gain.
We may also be exposed to foreign currency risk through SILP’s underlying cash, forwards, options, and investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies. At December 31, 2021, most of our currency exposures resulting from foreign denominated securities (longs and shorts) were reduced by offsetting cash balances denominated in the corresponding foreign currencies.
At December 31, 2021, a 10% increase or decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies would have no meaningful impact on the value of our Investment Portfolio.
Interest Rate Risk
Our investment in SILP includes interest-rate sensitive securities, such as corporate and sovereign debt instruments and interest rate options. The primary market risk exposure for any debt instrument is interest rate risk. As interest rates rise, the fair value of a long fixed-income portfolio generally falls. Similarly, falling interest rates generally lead to increases in the fair value of fixed-income securities. Additionally, some derivative investments may be sensitive to interest rates, and their value may indirectly fluctuate with changes in interest rates.
At December 31, 2021, a 100 basis points increase or decrease in interest rates would have no meaningful impact on the value of our Investment Portfolio.
We, along with DME Advisors, monitor the net exposure to interest rate risk and generally do not expect changes in interest rates to have a materially adverse impact on our operations.
Credit Risk
Credit risk relates to the uncertainty of a counterparty’s ability to make timely payments in accordance with terms of the instrument or contract. Our maximum exposure to credit risk is the carrying value of our financial assets. We evaluate the financial condition of our business partners and clients relating to balances receivable under our reinsurance contracts, including premiums receivable, losses recoverable, and commission adjustments recoverable. We obtain collateral in the form of funds withheld, trusts, and letters of credit from our counterparties to mitigate this credit risk. We monitor our net exposure to each counterparty relative to the financial strength of our counterparties and assess the collectibility of these balances on a regular basis. See Note 2 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further details on allowance for credit loss on reinsurance assets.
In addition, the securities, commodities, and cash in SILP’s investment portfolio are held with several prime brokers and derivative counterparties, subjecting SILP, and indirectly us, to a significant concentration of credit risk. While we have no direct control over SILP, DME Advisors regularly monitors the concentration of credit risk with each counterparty and, if appropriate, transfers cash or securities between counterparties or requests collateral to diversify and mitigate this credit risk.
Political Risk
Through our assumed reinsurance contracts, we currently provide a limited amount of political risk insurance coverage. We do not expect this exposure to have a materially adverse impact on our underwriting results.
We are exposed to political risk to the extent that we underwrite business from entities located in foreign markets and to the extent that DME Advisors, on behalf of SILP and subject to our investment guidelines, trades securities listed on various U.S. and foreign exchanges and markets. The governments in any of these jurisdictions could impose restrictions, regulations, or other measures, which may have a material adverse impact on our underwriting operations and investment strategy. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors - We could face unanticipated losses from political instability which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations”
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Information with respect to this Item is set forth under Part IV Item 15.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As required by Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Exchange Act, the Company has evaluated, with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in such rules) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all frauds. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake.
Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls also is based, in part, upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company continues to review its disclosure controls and procedures, including its internal controls over financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing their effectiveness and to ensure that the Company’s systems evolve with its business.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP and includes those policies and procedures that:
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Because of its inherent limitations, a system of internal control over financial reporting can provide only reasonable assurance and may not prevent or detect misstatements. Further, because of changes in conditions, effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting may vary over time. Our system contains self-monitoring mechanisms, and actions are taken to correct deficiencies as they are identified.
Our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the system of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in the Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the 2013 framework). Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our system of internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting has been audited by BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is included herein.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
This item is omitted because a definitive proxy statement containing such information will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A, which information required by this item set forth in the proxy statement is incorporated by reference.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
This item is omitted because a definitive proxy statement containing such information will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A, which information required by this item set forth in the proxy statement is incorporated by reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
This item is omitted because a definitive proxy statement containing such information will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A, which information required by this item set forth in the proxy statement is incorporated by reference.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
This item is omitted because a definitive proxy statement containing such information will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A, which information required by this item set forth in the proxy statement is incorporated by reference.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
This item is omitted because a definitive proxy statement containing such information will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year pursuant to Regulation 14A, which information required by this item set forth in the proxy statement is incorporated by reference.
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PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
The following documents are filed as a part of this Form 10-K
Page
(a)(1) Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-5
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements F-9
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
Schedule II – Condensed Financial Information of Registrant F-50
Schedule III – Supplementary Insurance Information F-52
Schedule IV – Supplementary Reinsurance Information F-52
ITEM 16. 10-K SUMMARY
None.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number Description of Exhibit
4.3 Description of Registrant’s Securities.
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21.1 Subsidiaries of the registrant.
23.1 Consent of BDO USA, LLP.
23.2 Consent of Ernst & Young Ltd.
(1) Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
By: /s/ Simon Burton
Simon BurtonChief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
/s/ DAVID M. EINHORN /s/ LEONARD GOLDBERG
David M. EinhornDirector Leonard GoldbergDirector
/s/ URSULINE FOLEY /s/ ALAN BROOKS
Ursuline FoleyDirector Alan BrooksDirector
/s/ IAN ISAACS /s/ BRYAN MURPHY
Ian IsaacsDirector Bryan MurphyDirector
/s/ NEIL GREENSPAN /s/ VICTORIA GUEST
/s/ SIMON BURTON /s/ JOHNNY FERRARI
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Shareholders and Board of Directors
Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd.’s (the “Company’s”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the “COSO criteria”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and financial statement schedules listed in the accompanying index and our report dated March 8, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying “Item 9A, Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting”. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.
March 8, 2022
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Shareholders and Board of Directors
Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021 and the related notes and financial statement schedules listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated March 8, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
We did not audit the financial statements of Solasglas Investments, LP, an equity method investment of the Company, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021. The Company’s investment in Solasglas Investments, LP as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $183.6 million and $166.7 million, respectively, and its equity in net income of Solasglas Investments, LP was $18.1 million, $4.4 million and $46.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The financial statements of Solasglas Investments, LP were audited by other auditors whose report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for Solasglas Investments, LP, is based solely on the report of the other auditors.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) Loss Reserves
As described in Note 2 and Note 7 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements, the Company’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves were $524.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The total reserve was made up of $190.2 million of case reserves and $333.8 million of IBNR reserves. Case reserves have resulted from claims notified to the Company by its clients. IBNR loss reserves relate to claims that have been incurred by insureds and reinsureds but have not yet been reported to the insurer or reinsurer, including unknown future developments on amounts already known by the insurer or reinsurer. The calculation of the IBNR reserves requires the Company’s reserving actuaries to calculate a best, or “point,” estimate of reserves for each contract. To calculate this estimate, a number of different actuarial methodologies and key assumptions are weighted and applied to each individual contract.
We identified the IBNR portion of the Company’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves as a critical audit matter. The Company’s actuarial methodologies and key assumptions used to calculate IBNR loss reserves are highly subjective and can have a significant impact on the loss and loss adjustment expense reserve. Auditing these methodologies and key assumptions used involves a high degree of subjective auditor judgment due to the assessment of risk and nature and extent of specialized skill and knowledge needed to address the risk.
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included:
•Testing the design and effectiveness of the controls relating to management’s loss reserving process, including:
•Management’s review of the completeness and accuracy of source data provided by cedents.
•Management’s review of internally selected actuarial methodologies and key assumptions used.
•Management’s review of the independent external actuarial report, which includes an independent recommended reserve balance. A comparison is performed between the Company’s internal reserve balance and the recommended balance per the independent external actuary.
•Reviewing the development of prior year estimates of IBNR loss reserves.
•Testing the completeness and accuracy of the source information used by the Company and any additional source information used by BDO’s actuarial specialists to calculate the IBNR loss reserves.
•Utilizing personnel with specialized knowledge and skill in actuarial services to: (i) evaluate the appropriateness of the methodology and the assumptions used by management and management’s specialist and (ii) evaluate the reasonableness of the Company’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves by developing an independent estimate and reasonable range of actuarial central estimates based on an alternative combination of methods, assumptions and/or segmentation of the data.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2006.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.
March 8, 2022
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The General Partner
Solasglas Investments, LP
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statements of assets, liabilities and partners’ capital of Solasglas Investments, LP (the “Partnership”), including the condensed schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related statements of operations, changes in partners’ capital and cash flows for the years December 31, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Partnership at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations, changes on its partners’ capital and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis of Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Partnership’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Partnership’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Partnership in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Ernst & Young Ltd.
We have served as the Partnership’s auditor since 2018.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
March 8, 2022
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GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2021 and 2020
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)
Assets
Investments
Investment in related party investment fund $ 183,591 $ 166,735
Unearned premiums ceded 42 —
Notes receivable — 6,101
Liabilities and equity
Liabilities
Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves $ 524,010 $ 494,179
Shareholders' equity
The accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)
Revenues
Expenses
Deposit interest expense 11,655 — —
Earnings (loss) per share
The accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
Ordinary share capital
Issue of Class A ordinary shares, net of forfeitures 41 8 61
Repurchase of Class A ordinary shares (109) (255) —
Additional paid-in capital
Repurchase of Class A ordinary shares (9,891) (17,526) —
Retained earnings (deficit)
Repurchase of Class A ordinary shares — — —
The accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Foreign exchange (gains) losses on investments 45 83 270
Amortization and interest expense, net of change in accruals 2,263 2,280 2,329
Net change in
Other assets, excluding depreciation (2,908) (850) 374
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (56,296) (91,323) 1,631
Investing activities
Proceeds from sales of investments 20,755 — —
Change in due to related party investment fund — — (9,642)
Financing activities
Repurchase of Class A ordinary shares (10,000) (17,781) —
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (10,000) (17,781) —
Supplementary information
Income tax paid in cash 3,703 — —
Non-cash transfer of investments — — 36,673
Non-cash addition of right-of-use asset — — 323
The accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements are an
integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
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GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019
1. ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (“GLRE”) was incorporated as an exempted company under the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands on July 13, 2004. GLRE’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenlight Reinsurance, Ltd. (“Greenlight Re”), provides global specialty property and casualty reinsurance. Greenlight Re has a Class D insurer license issued in accordance with the terms of The Insurance Act, 2010 (as amended) and underlying regulations thereto (the “Act”) and is subject to regulation by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, in terms of the Act. Greenlight Re commenced underwriting in April 2006. Verdant Holding Company, Ltd. (“Verdant”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of GLRE, was incorporated in 2008 in the state of Delaware. During 2010, GLRE established Greenlight Reinsurance Ireland, Designated Activity Company (“GRIL”), a wholly-owned reinsurance subsidiary based in Dublin, Ireland. GRIL is authorized as a non-life reinsurance undertaking in accordance with the provisions of the European Union (Insurance and Reinsurance) Regulations 2015. GRIL provides multi-line property and casualty reinsurance capacity to the European broker market and provides GLRE with an additional platform to serve clients located in Europe and North America. In 2020, GLRE established Greenlight Re Marketing (UK) Limited (“Greenlight Re UK”) as a wholly-owned subsidiary to increase the Company’s presence in the London market. As used herein, the “Company” refers collectively to GLRE and its consolidated subsidiaries.
The Class A ordinary shares of GLRE are listed on Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GLRE.”
These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of GLRE and the consolidated financial statements of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Greenlight Re, GRIL, Verdant, and Greenlight Re UK. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated on consolidation.
Significant estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including those associated with premiums and the estimations of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, including losses arising from the novel coronavirus (the “COVID-19 pandemic”), may be subject to significant adjustments in future periods. (See Note 7 for the significant assumptions that served as the basis for the Company's reserve estimates for the COVID-19 pandemic).
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. The significant estimates reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, premiums written, earned and receivable, variability underlying risk transfer assessments, allowances for credit losses, share-based compensation, valuation allowances associated with deferred tax assets and investment impairments.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and certain short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturity dates of three months or less.
Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents
The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances to collateralize regulatory trusts and letters of credit issued to cedents (see Notes 6 and 15).
The following table reconciles the cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets to the total presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows:
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($ in thousands)
Premium Revenue Recognition
The Company writes excess of loss contracts and quota share contracts, and estimates the ultimate premiums for the contract period. The Company bases these estimates on actuarial pricing models and information received from ceding companies. For excess of loss contracts, the Company writes the total ultimate estimated premiums at the contract’s inception. For quota share contracts, the Company writes premiums in the same periods in which the underlying insurance contracts are written, based on cession statements from cedents. The Company typically receives these statements monthly or quarterly, depending on the terms specified in each contract. For any reporting lag, the Company estimates premiums written based on the portion of the estimated ultimate premiums relating to the risks bound during the lag period.
The Company’s management reviews premium estimates at least quarterly. Such review includes a comparison of actual reported premiums to expected ultimate premiums, along with a review of the aging and collection of premiums. Management evaluates the appropriateness of the premium estimates on the basis of these reviews and records any adjustments to these estimates in the period in which they are determined. Changes in premium estimates, including premium receivable on both excess of loss and quota share contracts, are not unusual and may result in significant adjustments in any period. A portion of amounts included in the caption “Reinsurance balances receivable” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets represent estimated premiums written, net of commissions and brokerage, and are not currently due based on the terms of the underlying contracts. Additional premiums due on a contract with no remaining coverage period are earned in full when written.
Certain contracts allow for reinstatement premiums in the event of a loss. Reinstatement premiums are written and earned when a triggering loss event occurs.
Premiums written are generally recognized as earned over the contract period in proportion to the risk covered. Unearned premiums represent the unexpired portion of reinsurance provided.
Funds Held by Cedents
The caption “Reinsurance balances receivable” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets includes amounts held by cedents. Such amounts include premiums and funds held at Lloyd’s, which is held in trust at Lloyd's as security for members’ underwriting activities. At December 31, 2021, funds held by cedents were $246.9 million (December 31, 2020: $127.6 million).