Item 1A. Risk Factors
You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties of which we currently are unaware or currently believe to be immaterial. The occurrence of any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to Our Business, Industry, and Operations
Our loss reserves may be inadequate to cover our actual losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our success depends on our ability to accurately assess the risks related to the businesses and people that we insure. We establish loss and loss adjustment expense reserves for the ultimate payment of all claims and the related costs of adjusting those claims, as of the date of our financial statements. Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability. Rather, reserves represent an estimate of ultimate settlement cost and our ultimate liability may be greater or less than our estimate.
As part of the reserving process, we review historical data and consider the impact of such factors as:
•claims inflation, which is the sustained increase in cost of raw materials, labor, medical services and other components of claims cost;
•claims development patterns by line of business and by "claims made" versus "occurrence" policies;
•legislative activity;
•social and economic patterns; and
•litigation, judicial and regulatory trends (e.g., increased litigation, higher jury awards and third-party litigation funding, among others).
These variables are affected by both internal and external events that could increase our exposure to losses, and we continually monitor our reserves using new information on reported claims and a variety of statistical techniques. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting future events. There is, however, no precise method for evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy of reserves, and actual results may deviate, perhaps substantially, from our reserve estimates. For instance, the following uncertainties may have an impact on the adequacy of our reserves:
•When we write "occurrence" policies, we are obligated to pay covered claims, up to the contractually agreed amount, for any covered loss that occurs while the policy is in force. Accordingly, claims may arise many years after a policy has lapsed. Approximately 83.6% of our net casualty loss reserves were associated with "occurrence" policies as of December 31, 2024.
•Even when a claim is received (irrespective of whether the policy is a "claims made" or "occurrence" basis form), it may take considerable time to fully recognize the extent of the covered loss suffered by the insured and, consequently, estimates of loss associated with specific claims can increase over time.
•New theories of liability are enforced retroactively from time to time by courts. See also "—The failure of any of the loss limitations or exclusions we employ, or changes in other claims or coverage issues, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations."
•Volatility in the financial markets, economic events and other external factors may result in an increase in the number of claims and/or severity of the claims reported. In addition, elevated inflationary conditions would, among other things, cause loss costs to increase. See also "—Adverse economic factors, including recession, inflation, periods of high unemployment or lower economic activity could result in the sale of fewer policies than expected or an increase
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in frequency or severity of claims and premium defaults or both, which, in turn, could affect our growth and profitability."
•If claims were to become more frequent, even if we had no liability for those claims, the cost of evaluating such potential claims could escalate beyond the amount of the reserves we have established. As we enter new lines of business, or as a result of new theories of claims, we may encounter an increase in claims frequency and greater claims handling costs than we had anticipated.
In addition, there may be significant reporting lags between the occurrence of the insured event and the time it is actually reported to us and additional lags between the time of reporting and final settlement of any claims. Consequently, estimates of loss associated with specified claims can increase as new information emerges, which could cause the reserves for the claim to become inadequate.
If any of our reserves should prove to be inadequate, we will be required to increase our reserves resulting in a reduction in our net income and stockholders’ equity in the period in which the deficiency is identified. Future loss experience substantially in excess of established reserves could also have a material adverse effect on our future earnings, liquidity and our financial rating.
For further discussion of our reserve experience, please see "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Estimates — Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses."
Given the inherent uncertainty of models, the usefulness of such models as a tool to evaluate risk is subject to a high degree of uncertainty that could result in actual losses that are materially different than our estimates, including PMLs. A deviation from our loss estimates may adversely impact, perhaps significantly, our financial results.
Our approach to risk management relies on subjective variables that entail significant uncertainties. For example, we rely heavily on estimates of PMLs for certain events that are generated by computer-run models. In addition, we rely on historical data and scenarios in managing credit and interest rate risks in our investment portfolio. These estimates, models, data and scenarios may not produce accurate predictions and consequently, we could incur losses both in the risks we underwrite and to the value of our investment portfolio.
We use third-party vendor models to provide us with objective risk assessment relating to other risks in our reinsurance portfolio. We use these models to help us control risk accumulation, inform management and other stakeholders of capital requirements and to improve the risk/return profile or minimize the amount of capital required to cover the risks in each of our reinsurance contracts. However, given the inherent uncertainty of modeling techniques and the application of such techniques, these models and databases may not accurately address a variety of matters which might impact certain of our coverages.
Small changes in assumptions, which depend heavily on our judgment and foresight, can have a significant impact on the modeled outputs. For example, catastrophe models that simulate loss estimates based on a set of assumptions are important tools used to estimate our PMLs. These assumptions address a number of factors that impact loss potential including, but not limited to, the characteristics of a given natural catastrophe event; the increase in claim costs resulting from limited supply of labor and materials needed for repairs following a catastrophe event (demand surge); the types, function, location and characteristics of exposed risks; susceptibility of exposed risks to damage from an event with specific characteristics; and the financial and contractual provisions of the (re)insurance contracts that cover losses arising from an event. We run many model simulations in order to understand the impact of these assumptions on a catastrophe’s loss potential. Furthermore, there are risks associated with catastrophe events, which are either poorly represented or not represented at all by catastrophe models. Each modeling assumption or un-modeled risk introduces uncertainty into PML estimates that management must consider. These uncertainties can include, but are not limited to, the following:
•The models do not address all the possible hazard characteristics of a catastrophe peril (e.g. the precise path and wind speed of a hurricane);
•The models may not accurately reflect the true frequency of events;
•The models may not accurately reflect a risk's vulnerability or susceptibility to damage for a given event
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characteristic;
•The models may not accurately represent loss potential to insurance or reinsurance contract coverage limits, terms and conditions; and
•The models may not accurately reflect the impact on the economy of the area affected or the financial, judicial, political, or regulatory impact on insurance claim payments during or following a catastrophe event.
Our PMLs are reviewed by management after the assessment of outputs from multiple third-party vendor models and other qualitative and quantitative assessments, including exposures not typically modeled in vendor models. Our methodology for estimating PMLs may differ from methods used by other companies and external parties given the various assumptions and judgments required to estimate a PML.
As a result of these factors and contingencies, our reliance on assumptions and data used to evaluate our entire reinsurance portfolio and specifically to estimate a PML is subject to a high degree of uncertainty that could result in actual losses that are materially different from our PML estimates and our financial results could be adversely affected.
The failure of any of the loss limitations or exclusions we employ, or changes in other claims or coverage issues, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Although we seek to mitigate our loss exposure through a variety of methods, the future is inherently unpredictable. It is difficult to predict the timing, frequency and severity of losses with statistical certainty. It is not possible to completely eliminate our exposure to unforecasted or unpredictable events and, to the extent that losses from such risks occur, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
For instance, various provisions of our policies, such as limitations or exclusions from coverage or choice of forum, which have been negotiated to limit our risks, may not be enforceable in the manner we intend. At the present time, we employ a variety of endorsements to our policies that limit exposure to known risks. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge.
In addition, we design our policy terms to manage our exposure to expanding theories of legal liability like those which have given rise to claims for lead paint, asbestos, mold, construction defects and environmental matters. Many of the policies we issue also include conditions requiring the prompt reporting of claims to us and entitle us to decline coverage in the event of a violation of those conditions. Also, many of our policies limit the period during which a policyholder may bring a claim under the policy, which in many cases is shorter than the statutory period under which such claims can be brought against our policyholders. While these exclusions and limitations help us assess and reduce our loss exposure and help eliminate known exposures to certain risks, it is possible that a court or regulatory authority could nullify or void an exclusion or legislation could be enacted modifying or barring the use of such endorsements and limitations. These types of governmental actions could result in higher than anticipated losses and loss adjustment expenses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. Examples of unanticipated risks that have adversely affected the insurance industry are:
•Asbestos liability applied to manufacturers of products and contractors who installed those products.
•Apportionment of liability arising from subsidence claims assigned to subcontractors who may have been involved in mundane tasks (such as installing sheetrock in a home).
•Court decisions, such as the 1995 Montrose decision in California, that read policy exclusions narrowly so as to expand coverage, thereby requiring insurers to create and write new exclusions.
•An increase in class action lawsuits and cases assigned to Multi-District Litigation (MDL), which often lengthens claim duration and increases legal expenses.
These issues may adversely affect our business by either broadening coverage beyond our underwriting intent or by increasing the number or size of claims. In some instances, these changes may not become apparent until sometime after
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we have issued insurance contracts that are affected by the changes. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.
We may be unable to obtain reinsurance coverage at reasonable prices or on terms that adequately protect us.
We use reinsurance to help manage our exposure to insurance risks. Reinsurance is a practice whereby one insurer, called the reinsurer, agrees to indemnify another insurer, called the ceding insurer, for all or part of the potential liability arising from one or more insurance policies issued by the ceding insurer. The availability and cost of reinsurance are subject to prevailing market conditions, both in terms of price and available capacity, which can affect our business volume and profitability. In addition, reinsurance programs are generally subject to renewal on an annual basis. We may not be able to obtain reinsurance on acceptable terms or from entities with satisfactory creditworthiness. If we are unable to obtain new reinsurance facilities or to renew expiring facilities, our net exposures would increase. In such event, if we are unwilling to bear an increase in our net exposure, we would have to reduce the level of our underwriting commitments, which would reduce our revenues.
Many reinsurance companies have begun to exclude certain coverages from, or alter terms in, the reinsurance contracts we enter into with them. Some exclusions relate to risks that we cannot exclude due to business or regulatory constraints. In addition, reinsurers often impose terms, such as lower per-occurrence and aggregate limits, on direct insurers that do not wholly cover the risks written by these direct insurers. As a result, we, like other direct insurance companies, write insurance policies which to some extent do not have the benefit of reinsurance protection. These gaps in reinsurance protection expose us to greater risk and greater potential losses. For example, certain reinsurers have excluded coverage for terrorist acts or priced such coverage at rates higher than the underlying risk. Many direct insurers, including us, have written policies without terrorist act exclusions and in many cases we cannot exclude terrorist acts because of regulatory constraints. We may, therefore, be exposed to potential losses as a result of terrorist acts. See also "Business — Reinsurance."
Severe weather conditions, catastrophes, pandemics and similar events may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business is exposed to the risk of severe weather conditions and other catastrophes. Catastrophes can be caused by various events, including natural events such as severe winter weather, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, hailstorms, severe thunderstorms and fires, and other events such as explosions, war, terrorist attacks and riots. The incidence and severity of catastrophes and severe weather conditions are inherently unpredictable. The extent of losses from catastrophes is a function of the total amount of insured value, the number of insureds affected, the frequency and severity of the events, the effectiveness of our catastrophe risk management program and the adequacy of our reinsurance coverage. Insurance companies are not permitted to reserve for a catastrophe until it has occurred. Severe weather conditions and catastrophes can cause losses in our property lines and generally result in both an increase in the number of claims incurred and an increase in the dollar amount of each claim asserted, which may require us to increase our reserves, causing our liquidity and financial condition to deteriorate. In addition, our inability to obtain reinsurance coverage at reasonable rates and in amounts adequate to mitigate the risks associated with severe weather conditions and other catastrophes could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business is also exposed to the risk of pandemics, outbreaks, public health crises, and geopolitical and social events, and their related effects. While policy terms and conditions in the lines of business we write preclude coverage for virus-related claims, court decisions and governmental actions may challenge the validity of any exclusions or our interpretation of how such terms and conditions operate.
Global climate change may have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Climate change could have a significant impact on longer-term natural weather trends, including increases in severe weather and catastrophic events. While most catastrophes are restricted to fairly specific geographic areas, the extent of loss and damage for insurance purposes is a function of both the total amount of insured value in the area affected by the event and the severity of the event. We attempt to manage this exposure through careful and disciplined underwriting, using sophisticated computer models to help assess our exposure to catastrophic events, purchasing extensive reinsurance protection from financially strong counterparties and limiting the concentration of property business by geographic area.
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However, assessing the risk of loss and damage and the range of approaches to address the adverse effects of climate change, including impacts related to extreme weather events and slow onset events, remains a challenge and may materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Market Conditions and our Business Operations
Adverse economic factors, including recession, inflation, periods of high unemployment or lower economic activity could result in the sale of fewer policies than expected or an increase in frequency or severity of claims and premium defaults or both, which, in turn, could affect our growth and profitability.
Factors, such as business revenue, economic conditions, the volatility and strength of the capital markets and inflation can affect the business and economic environment. These same factors affect our ability to generate revenue and profits. In an economic downturn that is characterized by higher unemployment, declining spending and reduced corporate revenues, the demand for insurance products is generally adversely affected, which directly affects our premium levels and profitability. Negative economic factors may also affect our ability to receive the appropriate rate for the risk we insure with our policyholders and may adversely affect the number of policies we can write, including with respect to our opportunities to underwrite profitable business. In an economic downturn, our customers may have less need for insurance coverage, cancel existing insurance policies, modify their coverage or not renew the policies they hold with us. Existing policyholders may exaggerate or even falsify claims to obtain higher claims payments. These outcomes would reduce our underwriting profit to the extent these factors are not reflected in the rates we charge.
We underwrite a significant portion of our insurance in California, Florida and Texas. Any economic downturn in any such state could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A decline in our financial strength rating may adversely affect the amount of business we write.
Participants in the insurance industry use ratings from independent ratings agencies, such as A.M. Best, as an important means of assessing the financial strength and quality of insurers. In setting its ratings, A.M. Best uses a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile. This analysis includes comparisons to peers and industry standards as well as assessments of operating plans, philosophy and management. A.M. Best financial strength ratings range from "A++" (Superior) to "F" for insurance companies that have been publicly placed in liquidation. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating of "A" (Excellent) to our operating subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance. A.M. Best assigns ratings that are intended to provide an independent opinion of an insurance company’s ability to meet its obligations to policyholders and such ratings are not evaluations directed to investors and are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold our common stock or any other securities we may issue. A.M. Best periodically reviews our financial strength rating and may revise it downward or revoke it at its sole discretion based primarily on its analysis of our balance sheet strength (including capital adequacy and loss adjustment expense reserve adequacy), operating performance and business profile. Factors that could affect such analysis include but are not limited to:
•if we change our business practices from our organizational business plan in a manner that no longer supports A.M. Best’s rating;
•if unfavorable financial, regulatory or market trends affect us, including excess market capacity;
•if our losses exceed our loss reserves;
•if we have unresolved issues with government regulators;
•if we are unable to retain our senior management or other key personnel;
•if our investment portfolio incurs significant losses; or
•if A.M. Best alters its capital adequacy assessment methodology in a manner that would adversely affect our rating.
These and other factors could result in a downgrade of our financial strength rating. A downgrade or withdrawal of our rating could result in any of the following consequences, among others:
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•causing our current and future brokers and insureds to choose other, more highly-rated competitors;
•increasing the cost or reducing the availability of reinsurance to us; or
•severely limiting or preventing us from writing new and renewal insurance contracts.
In addition, in view of the earnings and capital pressures recently experienced by many financial institutions, including insurance companies, it is possible that rating organizations will heighten the level of scrutiny that they apply to such institutions, will increase the frequency and scope of their credit reviews, will request additional information from the companies that they rate or will increase the capital and other requirements employed in the rating organizations’ models for maintenance of certain ratings levels. We can offer no assurance that our rating will remain at its current level. It is possible that such reviews of us may result in adverse ratings consequences, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We could be adversely affected by the loss of one or more key executives or by an inability to attract and retain qualified personnel.
We depend on our ability to attract and retain experienced personnel and seasoned key executives who are knowledgeable about our business. The pool of talent from which we actively recruit is limited and may fluctuate based on market dynamics specific to our industry and independent of overall economic conditions. As such, higher demand for employees having the desired skills and expertise could lead to increased compensation expectations for existing and prospective personnel, making it difficult for us to retain and recruit key personnel and maintain labor costs at desired levels. Only our Chief Executive Officer has an employment agreement with us and is subject to a non-compete agreement. Should any of our key executives terminate their employment with us, or if we are unable to retain and attract talented personnel, we may be unable to maintain our current competitive position in the specialized markets in which we operate, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
We rely on a select group of brokers, and such relationships may not continue.
We distribute the majority of our products through a select group of brokers. Of our 2024 gross written premiums, 62.3%, or $1.2 billion, were distributed through five of our approximately 197 brokers, three of which accounted for 48.4%, or $905.8 million, of our 2024 gross written premiums.
Our relationship with any of these brokers may be discontinued at any time. Even if the relationships do continue, they may not be on terms that are profitable for us. The termination of a relationship with one or more significant brokers could result in lower gross written premiums and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or business prospects.
Our E&S insurance operations are subject to increased risk from changing market conditions and our business is cyclical in nature, which may affect our financial performance.
E&S insurance covers risks that are typically more complex and unusual than standard risks and require a high degree of specialized underwriting. As a result, E&S risks do not often fit the underwriting criteria of standard insurance carriers, and are generally considered higher risk than those covered in the standard market. If our underwriting staff inadequately judges and prices the risks associated with the business underwritten in the E&S market, our financial results could be adversely impacted.
Historically, the financial performance of the P&C insurance industry has tended to fluctuate in cyclical periods of price competition and excess capacity (known as a soft market) followed by periods of high premium rates and shortages of underwriting capacity (known as a hard market). Soft markets occur when the supply of insurance capital in a given market or territory is greater than the amount of insurance coverage demanded by all potential insureds in that market. When this occurs, insurance prices tend to decline and policy terms and conditions become more favorable to the insureds. Conversely, hard markets occur when there is not enough insurance capital capacity in the market to meet the needs of potential insureds, causing insurance prices to generally rise and policy terms and conditions to become more favorable to the insurers.
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Although an individual insurance company's financial performance depends on its own specific business characteristics, the profitability of most P&C insurance companies tends to follow this cyclical market pattern. Further, this cyclical market pattern can be more pronounced in the E&S market than in the standard insurance market. When the standard insurance market hardens, the E&S market typically hardens, and growth in the E&S market can be significantly more rapid than growth in the standard insurance market. Similarly, when conditions begin to soften, many customers that were previously driven into the E&S market may return to the admitted market, exacerbating the effects of rate decreases. We cannot predict the timing or duration of changes in the market cycle because the cyclicality is due in large part to the actions of our competitors and general economic factors. These cyclical patterns cause our revenues and net income to fluctuate, which may cause the price of our common stock to be volatile.
Our employees could take excessive risks, which could negatively affect our financial condition and business.
As an insurance enterprise, we are in the business of binding certain risks. The employees who conduct our business, including executive officers and other members of management, underwriters, product managers and other employees, do so in part by making decisions and choices that involve exposing us to risk. These include decisions such as setting underwriting guidelines and standards, product design and pricing, determining which business opportunities to pursue and other decisions. We endeavor, in the design and implementation of our compensation programs and practices, to avoid giving our employees incentives to take excessive risks. Employees may, however, take such risks regardless of the structure of our compensation programs and practices. Similarly, although we employ controls and procedures designed to monitor employees’ business decisions and prevent them from taking excessive risks, these controls and procedures may not be effective. If our employees take excessive risks, the impact of those risks could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and business operations.
Competition for business in our industry is intense.
We face competition from other specialty insurance companies, standard insurance companies and underwriting agencies, as well as from diversified financial services companies that are larger than we are and that have greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. Some of these competitors also have longer experience and more market recognition than we do in certain lines of business. In addition, it may be difficult or prohibitively expensive for us to implement technology systems and processes that are competitive with the systems and processes of these larger companies.
In particular, competition in the insurance industry is based on many factors, including price of coverage, the general reputation and perceived financial strength of the company, relationships with brokers, terms and conditions of products offered, ratings assigned by independent rating agencies, speed of claims payment and reputation, and the experience and reputation of the members of our underwriting team in the particular lines of insurance and reinsurance we seek to underwrite. See "Business — Competition." In recent years, the insurance industry has undergone increasing consolidation, which may further increase competition.
A number of new, proposed or potential legislative or industry developments could further increase competition in our industry. These developments include:
•An increase in capital-raising by companies in our lines of business, which could result in new entrants to our markets and an excess of capital in the industry;
•The deregulation of commercial insurance lines in certain states and the possibility of federal regulatory reform of the insurance industry, which could increase competition from standard carriers; and
•Changing practices caused by the internet, including shifts in the way in which E&S insurance is purchased. We currently depend largely on the wholesale distribution model. If the wholesale distribution model were to be significantly altered by changes in the way E&S insurance is marketed, including, without limitation, through use of the internet, it could have a material adverse effect on our premiums, underwriting results and profits.
We may not be able to continue to compete successfully in the insurance markets. Increased competition in these markets could result in a change in the supply and demand for insurance, affect our ability to price our products at risk-adequate
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rates and retain existing business, or underwrite new business on favorable terms. If this increased competition so limits our ability to transact business, our operating results could be adversely affected.
If we are unable to underwrite risks accurately and charge competitive yet profitable rates to our policyholders, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
In general, the premiums for our insurance policies are established at the time a policy is issued and, therefore, before all of our underlying costs are known. Like other insurance companies, we rely on estimates and assumptions in setting our premium rates. Establishing adequate premium rates is necessary, together with investment income, to generate sufficient revenue to offset losses, loss adjustment expenses and other underwriting costs to earn a profit. If we do not accurately assess the risks that we assume, we may not charge adequate premiums to cover our losses and expenses, which would adversely affect our results of operations and our profitability. Alternatively, we could set our premiums too high, which could reduce our competitiveness and lead to lower revenues. Pricing involves the acquisition and analysis of historical loss data and the projection of future trends, loss costs and expenses, and inflation trends, among other factors, for each of our products in multiple risk tiers and many different markets. In order to accurately price our policies, we must:
•collect and properly analyze a substantial volume of data from our insureds;
•develop, test and apply appropriate actuarial projections and ratings formulas;
•closely monitor and timely recognize changes in trends; and
•project both frequency and severity of our insureds’ losses with reasonable accuracy.
We seek to implement our pricing accurately in accordance with our assumptions. Our ability to undertake these efforts successfully and, as a result, accurately price our policies, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:
•insufficient or unreliable data;
•incorrect or incomplete analysis of available data;
•uncertainties generally inherent in estimates and assumptions;
•our failure to implement appropriate actuarial projections and ratings formulas or other pricing methodologies;
•regulatory constraints on rate increases;
•our failure to accurately estimate investment yields and the duration of our liability for loss and loss adjustment expenses; and
•unanticipated court decisions, legislation or regulatory action.
Because our business depends on insurance brokers, we are exposed to certain risks arising out of our reliance on these distribution channels that could adversely affect our results.
Certain premiums from policyholders, where the business is produced by brokers, are collected directly by the brokers and forwarded to our insurance subsidiary. In certain jurisdictions, when the insured pays its policy premium to its broker for payment on behalf of our insurance subsidiary, the premium might be considered to have been paid under applicable insurance laws and regulations. Accordingly, the insured would no longer be liable to us for those amounts, whether or not we have actually received the premium from that broker. Consequently, we assume a degree of credit risk associated with the brokers with whom we work. Where necessary, we review the financial condition of potential new brokers before we agree to transact business with them. Although the failure by any of our brokers to remit premiums to us has not been material to date, there may be instances where our brokers collect premiums but do not remit them to us and we may be required under applicable law to provide the coverage set forth in the policy despite the absence of related premiums being paid to us.
The possibility of these events occurring depends in large part on the financial condition and internal operations of our brokers. If we are unable to collect premiums from our brokers in the future, our underwriting profits may decline and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
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We are subject to reinsurance counterparty credit risk.
Although reinsurance makes the reinsurer liable to us to the extent the risk is transferred or ceded to the reinsurer, it does not relieve us (the ceding insurer) of our primary liability to our policyholders. Our reinsurers may not pay claims made by us on a timely basis, or they may not pay some or all of these claims. For example, reinsurers may default in their financial obligations to us as the result of insolvency, lack of liquidity, operational failure, fraud, asserted defenses based on agreement wordings or the principle of utmost good faith, asserted deficiencies in the documentation of agreements or other reasons. Any disputes with reinsurers regarding coverage under reinsurance contracts could be time consuming, costly and uncertain of success. We evaluate each reinsurance claim based on the facts of the case, historical experience with the reinsurer on similar claims and existing case law and include any amounts deemed uncollectible from the reinsurer in our reserve for uncollectible reinsurance. As of December 31, 2024, we had $390.6 million of aggregate reinsurance balances on paid and unpaid losses and ceded unearned premiums. These risks could cause us to incur increased net losses, and, therefore, adversely affect our financial condition.
We may act based on inaccurate or incomplete information regarding the accounts we underwrite.
We rely on information provided by insureds or their representatives when underwriting insurance policies. While we may make inquiries to validate or supplement the information provided, we may make underwriting decisions based on incorrect or incomplete information. It is possible that we will misunderstand the nature or extent of the activities or facilities and the corresponding extent of the risks that we insure because of our reliance on inadequate or inaccurate information.
The failure of our information technology and telecommunications systems could materially adversely affect our business.
Our business depends on our information technology and telecommunications systems, including our web-based underwriting system. Among other things, we rely on these systems to interact with brokers and insureds, to underwrite business, to prepare policies and process premiums, to perform actuarial and other modeling functions, to process claims and make claims payments and to prepare internal and external financial statements and information. In addition, some of these systems include or rely on third-party systems under our direct control. Events such as natural catastrophes, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, third-party system or network outages or computer malware may cause our systems to fail or be inaccessible for extended periods of time. While we have implemented business contingency and other plans to protect our systems, sustained or repeated system failures or service denials could severely limit our ability to write and process new and renewal business, provide customer service, pay claims in a timely manner or otherwise operate in the ordinary course of business.
Our operations depend on the reliable and secure processing, storage and transmission of confidential and other data and information in our computer systems and networks. Computer malware, hackers, employee misconduct and other external hazards could expose our systems to security breaches, cyber attacks or other disruptions. In addition, we routinely transmit and receive personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential and proprietary data by electronic means and are subject to data privacy laws and regulations enacted in the jurisdictions in which we do business.
While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against breaches of security and other interference with our systems and networks, our systems and networks may be subject to significant breaches or interference. Any such event may result in material operational disruptions as well as unauthorized access to or the disclosure or loss of our proprietary information or our customers’ data and information, which in turn may result in legal claims, regulatory scrutiny and liability, the incurrence of costs to eliminate or mitigate further exposure, the loss of customers or affiliated advisors, reputational harm or other damage to our business. We cannot be certain that advances in criminal capabilities, discovery of new vulnerabilities, attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in our systems, data thefts, physical system or network break-ins or inappropriate access, or other developments will not compromise or breach the technology or other security measures protecting the networks and systems used in connection with our business.
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We employ third-party and open-source licensed software for use in our business, and the inability to maintain these licenses, errors in the software we license or the terms of open-source licenses could result in increased costs, or reduced service levels, which would adversely affect our business.
Our business relies on certain third-party software obtained under licenses from other companies. Although we believe that there are commercially reasonable alternatives to the third-party software we currently license, this may not always be the case, or it may be difficult or costly to replace. In addition, integration of new third-party software may require significant work and require substantial investment of our time and resources. Our use of additional or alternative third-party software would require us to enter into license agreements with third parties, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and add complexity to the environment. Many of the risks associated with the use of third-party software cannot be eliminated, and these risks could negatively affect our business.
Additionally, the software powering our technology systems incorporates software covered by open-source licenses. The terms of many open-source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts and there is a risk that the licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to operate our systems. In the event that portions of our proprietary software are determined to be subject to an open-source license, we could be required to publicly release the affected portions of our source code or re-engineer all or a portion of our technology systems, each of which could reduce or eliminate the value of our technology systems. Such risk could be difficult or impossible to eliminate, and such an event could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Artificial intelligence is an evolving and rapidly growing technology.
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence ("AI") could exacerbate the information technology related risks described above, as well as alter the competitive landscape. While we anticipate that we will continue to research and implement AI-based technology solutions to both mitigate risk and increase automation in our environment, it is possible that bad actors and/or competitors will leverage AI solutions more effectively to either exploit vulnerabilities or take market share. Either outcome could negatively impact our business. We are aware that generative AI tools may respond with inaccurate or fabricated information, introduce bias or fail to provide traceability of source information and have taken steps to train employees on these issues as well to avoid using these tools as primary decision processes. We will continue to look for opportunities to deploy these tools to aid in decision making processes but cannot guarantee that the risks will be completely eliminated.
Cloud provider service failure or control weakness could adversely affect our business.
We employ cloud-based services to host the majority of our applications and intend to continue and expand our use. As we use cloud-based services, we will rely on third-party cloud providers to maintain appropriate controls and safeguards to protect confidential information we receive, including personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or proprietary data, and the integrity and continuous operation of our proprietary technology platform. While we conduct due diligence on these cloud providers with respect to their security and business controls, these are point-in-time assessments, and we may not have the visibility to effectively monitor the continuous implementation and efficacy of these controls. Outside parties may be able to circumvent controls or exploit vulnerabilities, resulting in operational disruption, data loss, defects or a security event. Operating in the cloud increases the risk of operational disruption should internet service be interrupted. While we have implemented business contingency and other plans to facilitate continuous internet access, sustained or concurrent service denials or similar failures could limit our ability to write and process new and renewal business, provide customer service, pay claims in a timely manner or otherwise operate our business. Any such event or failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may change our underwriting guidelines or our strategy without stockholder approval.
Our management has the authority to change our underwriting guidelines or our strategy without notice to our stockholders and without stockholder approval. As a result, we may make fundamental changes to our operations without stockholder approval, which could result in our pursuing a strategy or implementing underwriting guidelines that may be materially different from the strategy or underwriting guidelines described in the section titled "Business" or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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If actual renewals of our existing contracts do not meet expectations, our written premiums in future years and our future results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Many of our contracts are written for a one-year term. In our financial forecasting process, we make assumptions about the rates of renewal of our prior year’s contracts. The insurance and reinsurance industries have historically been cyclical businesses with intense competition, often based on price. If actual renewals do not meet expectations or if we choose not to write a renewal because of pricing conditions, our written premiums in future years and our future operations would be materially adversely affected.
Our failure to accurately and timely pay claims could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We must accurately and timely evaluate and pay claims that are made under our policies. Many factors affect our ability to pay claims accurately and timely, including the training and experience of our claims examiners, our claims organization’s culture and the effectiveness of our management, our ability to develop or select and implement appropriate procedures and systems to support our claims functions and other factors. Our failure to pay claims accurately and timely could lead to regulatory and administrative actions or material litigation, undermine our reputation in the marketplace and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, if we do not train new claims employees effectively or if we lose a significant number of experienced claims employees, our claims department’s ability to handle an increasing workload could be adversely affected. In addition to potentially requiring that growth be slowed in the affected markets, our business could suffer from decreased quality of claims work which, in turn, could adversely affect our operating margins.
The effects of litigation on our business are uncertain and could have an adverse effect on our business.
As is typical in our industry, we continually face risks associated with litigation of various types, including disputes relating to insurance claims under our policies as well as other general commercial and corporate litigation. We could become involved in litigation with our customers, or become the target of class action lawsuits and other types of litigation, some of which involve claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts. The outcomes of litigation are inherently uncertain and can be influenced by evolving legal trends, including third-party litigation funding. This litigation may be based on a variety of issues, including insurance and claim settlement practices. We cannot predict with any certainty whether we will be involved in such litigation in the future or what impact such litigation would have on our business.
Risks Related to Our Investment Portfolio
Performance of our investment portfolio is subject to a variety of investment risks that may adversely affect our financial results.
Our results of operations depend, in part, on the performance of our investment portfolio. We seek to hold a high-quality, diversified portfolio of investments that is largely managed by professional investment advisory management firms in accordance with our investment policy and routinely reviewed by our Investment Committee. However, our investments are subject to general economic conditions and market risks as well as risks inherent to particular securities.
Our primary market risk exposures are to changes in interest rates and equity prices. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation — Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk." A protracted low interest rate environment would place pressure on our net investment income, particularly as it relates to fixed-maturity securities and short-term investments, which, in turn, may adversely affect our operating results. Increases in interest rates could cause the values of our fixed-maturity securities portfolios to decline, thereby negatively impacting our book value. The magnitude of the decline depends on the duration of securities included in our portfolio and the amount by which interest rates increase. Some fixed-maturity securities have call or prepayment options, which create possible reinvestment risk in declining rate environments. Other fixed-maturity securities, such as mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, carry prepayment risk or, in a rising interest rate environment, may not prepay as quickly as expected.
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The value of our investment portfolio is subject to the risk that certain investments may default or become impaired due to deterioration in the financial condition of one or more issuers of the securities we hold, or due to deterioration in the financial condition of an insurer that guarantees an issuer’s payments on such investments. Downgrades in the credit ratings of fixed maturities also have a significant negative effect on the market valuation of such securities.
Our investment portfolio is subject to increased valuation uncertainties when investment markets are illiquid. The valuation of investments is more subjective when markets are illiquid, thereby increasing the risk that the estimated fair value (i.e., the carrying amount) of the securities we hold in our portfolio does not reflect prices at which actual transactions would occur.
We also invest in marketable equity securities. These securities are carried on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value and are subject to potential losses and declines in value, which may never recover. Our equity investments totaled $398.4 million as of December 31, 2024.
Although we seek to preserve our capital, we cannot be certain that our investment objectives will be achieved, and results may vary substantially over time. In addition, although we seek to employ investment strategies that are not correlated with our insurance and reinsurance exposures, losses in our investment portfolio may occur at the same time as underwriting losses and, therefore, exacerbate the adverse effect of the losses on us.
Risks Related to Liquidity and Access to Capital
Because we are a holding company and substantially all of our operations are conducted by our insurance subsidiary, our ability to pay dividends depends on our ability to obtain cash dividends or other permitted payments from our insurance subsidiary.
Because we are a holding company with no business operations of our own, our ability to pay dividends to stockholders largely depends on dividends and other distributions from our insurance subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance. State insurance laws, including the laws of Arkansas, restrict the ability of Kinsale Insurance to declare stockholder dividends. State insurance regulators require insurance companies to maintain specified levels of statutory capital and surplus. Consequently, the maximum dividend distribution is limited by Arkansas law to the greater of 10% of policyholder surplus as of December 31 of the previous year or net income, not including realized capital gains, for the previous calendar year. Dividend payments are further limited to that part of available policyholder surplus which is derived from net profits on our business. The maximum amount of dividends Kinsale Insurance could pay us during 2025 without regulatory approval is $351.9 million. State insurance regulators have broad powers to prevent the reduction of statutory surplus to inadequate levels, and there is no assurance that dividends up to the maximum amounts calculated under any applicable formula would be permitted. Moreover, state insurance regulators that have jurisdiction over the payment of dividends by our insurance subsidiary may in the future adopt statutory provisions more restrictive than those currently in effect.
The declaration and payment of future dividends to holders of our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on many factors. See "Dividend Policy."
We could be forced to sell investments to meet our liquidity requirements.
We invest the premiums we receive from our insureds until they are needed to pay policyholder claims. Consequently, we seek to manage the duration of our investment portfolio based on the duration of our loss and loss adjustment expense reserves to ensure sufficient liquidity and avoid having to liquidate investments to fund claims. Risks such as inadequate loss and loss adjustment reserves or unfavorable trends in litigation could potentially result in the need to sell investments to fund these liabilities. We may not be able to sell our investments at favorable prices or at all. Sales could result in significant realized losses depending on the conditions of the general market, interest rates and credit issues with individual securities.
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Our credit agreements contain financial and other covenants, the breach of any of which could result in acceleration of payment of amounts due under our borrowings.
As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding borrowings of $184.1 million, net of debt issuance costs, in the aggregate under our two bank credit agreements. The agreements contain certain financial covenants that require us to maintain consolidated net worth in excess of a specified minimum amount, a leverage ratio as of the end of any fiscal quarter not in excess of 0.35 to 1, and minimum liquidity requirements if the maximum aggregate amount of dividends available to pay to us from Kinsale Insurance is below $50.0 million. The agreements contain other covenants which, among other things, require ongoing compliance with applicable insurance regulations and require our regulated insurance subsidiary to maintain a rating from A.M. Best not lower than an A-. A breach of any of these covenants could result in acceleration of our obligations to repay our outstanding indebtedness under such agreements if we are unable to obtain a waiver or amendment from our lenders, and otherwise could impair our ability to borrow funds or result in higher borrowing costs.
We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available or may only be available on unfavorable terms.
Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including our ability to write new business successfully and to establish premium rates and reserves at levels sufficient to cover losses. Many factors will affect the amount and timing of our capital needs, including our growth rate and profitability, our claims experience, and the availability of reinsurance, market disruptions and other unforeseeable developments. If we need to raise additional capital, equity or debt financing may not be available at all or may be available only on terms that are not favorable to us. In the case of equity financings, dilution to our stockholders could result. In the case of debt financings, we may be subject to covenants that restrict our ability to freely operate our business. In any case, such securities may have rights, preferences and privileges that are senior to those of the shares of common stock currently outstanding. If we cannot obtain adequate capital on favorable terms or at all, we may not have sufficient funds to implement our operating plans and our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to Regulation
We are subject to extensive regulation, which may adversely affect our ability to achieve our business objectives. In addition, if we fail to comply with these regulations, we may be subject to penalties, including fines and suspensions, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our insurance subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance, is subject to extensive regulation in Arkansas, its state of domicile, and to a lesser degree, the other states in which it operates. Most insurance regulations are designed to protect the interests of insurance policyholders, as opposed to the interests of investors or stockholders. These regulations generally are administered by a department of insurance in each state and relate to, among other things, authorizations to write E&S lines of business, capital and surplus requirements, investment and underwriting limitations, affiliate transactions, dividend limitations, changes in control, solvency and a variety of other financial and non-financial aspects of our business. Significant changes in these laws and regulations could further limit our discretion or make it more expensive to conduct our business. State insurance regulators also conduct periodic examinations of the affairs of insurance companies and require the filing of annual and other reports relating to financial condition, holding company issues and other matters. These regulatory requirements may impose timing and expense constraints that could adversely affect our ability to achieve some or all of our business objectives.
In addition, state insurance regulators have broad discretion to deny or revoke licenses for various reasons, including the violation of regulations. In some instances, where there is uncertainty as to applicability, we follow practices based on our interpretations of regulations or practices that we believe generally to be followed by the industry. These practices may turn out to be different from the interpretations of regulatory authorities. If we do not have the requisite licenses and approvals or do not comply with applicable regulatory requirements, state insurance regulators could preclude or temporarily suspend us from carrying on some or all of our activities or could otherwise penalize us. This could adversely affect our ability to operate our business. Further, changes in the level of regulation of the insurance industry or changes in laws or regulations themselves or interpretations by regulatory authorities could interfere with our operations and require us to bear additional costs of compliance, which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business.
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The NAIC has adopted a system to test the adequacy of statutory capital of insurance companies, known as "risk-based capital." This system establishes the minimum amount of risk-based capital necessary for a company to support its overall business operations. It identifies P&C insurers that may be inadequately capitalized by looking at certain inherent risks of each insurer's assets and liabilities and its mix of net written premiums. Insurers falling below a calculated threshold may be subject to varying degrees of regulatory action, including supervision, rehabilitation or liquidation. Failure to maintain our risk-based capital at the required levels could adversely affect the ability of our insurance subsidiary to maintain regulatory authority to conduct our business. See also "Regulation — Required licensing."
We may become subject to additional government or market regulation.
Our business could be adversely affected by changes in state laws, including those relating to asset and reserve valuation requirements, surplus requirements, limitations on investments and dividends, enterprise risk and risk-based capital requirements and, at the federal level, by laws and regulations that may affect certain aspects of the insurance industry, including proposals for preemptive federal regulation. The U.S. federal government generally has not directly regulated the insurance industry except for certain areas of the market, such as insurance for flood, nuclear and terrorism risks. However, the federal government has undertaken initiatives or considered legislation in several areas that may affect the insurance industry, including tort reform, corporate governance and the taxation of reinsurance companies.
The Dodd-Frank Act also established the FIO and vested the FIO with the authority to monitor all aspects of the insurance sector, including to monitor the extent to which traditionally underserved communities and consumers have access to affordable non-health insurance products. In addition, the FIO has the ability to recommend to the Financial Stability Oversight Council the designation of an insurer as "systemically significant" and therefore subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve as a bank holding company. Any additional regulations established as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act could increase our costs of compliance or lead to disciplinary action. In addition, legislation has been introduced from time to time that, if enacted, could result in the federal government assuming a more direct role in the regulation of the insurance industry, including federal licensing in addition to or in lieu of state licensing and requiring reinsurance for natural catastrophes. We are unable to predict whether any legislation will be enacted or any regulations will be adopted, or the effect any such developments could have on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Risk management and strategy
The Company’s risk management process includes assessing, identifying and managing material risks from various sources, including those related to cybersecurity. The Company uses information from incident history, industry publications and analysis centers, public news, government information sharing and recognized information security frameworks to inform its risk management program. Management employs a suite of detective and preventative cybersecurity measures including, but not limited to
•Maintaining a vulnerability management program,
•implementing and operating controls over logical access provisioning,
•maintaining an enterprise-wide security awareness program and
•administering periodic trainings.
The Company engages multiple vendors with subject matter and technological expertise in various aspects of cybersecurity management, including continuous threat detection and response coverage, endpoint detection, anti-malware, penetration testing and suspicious activity alerting, among others. When the Company engages third parties, management retains responsibility for the security and resiliency of its information assets. The Company maintains an incident response plan that includes escalation criteria and preliminary materiality assessments to guide business continuity and disclosure objectives.
We describe risks related to cybersecurity threats that could materially impact our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition under the heading “Risk Factors.” Material impacts could include loss of access to systems and data, financial costs and reputational harm, among others.
Governance
Our Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") is responsible for assessing and managing overall material risks to the Company. With respect to cybersecurity risks, our CEO leverages the collective expertise of the Company’s information security function which reports to our CEO through the Company’s Chief Information Officer. The information security function is staffed with individuals with extensive information security employment experience, including in the financial services sector, educational experience and relevant credentials.The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the "Audit Committee") is responsible for receiving periodic updates on cybersecurity and information security risks, reviewing and discussing with management the quality and effectiveness of the Company’s efforts to mitigate such risks and reporting such findings to the Board of Directors. Management informs the Audit Committee about prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents at least semi-annually and monitors such matters continuously.
In 2025, the oversight over the Company's cybersecurity risk will transition from the Audit Committee to the Board of Directors ("the Board") to align with the Board's oversight of operational risks.
Item 2. Properties
We own our executive and insurance offices located in Richmond, Virginia, and we currently occupy approximately 110,000 square feet of the 137,000 square feet of available office space.
We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current needs.
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are subject to legal proceedings in the normal course of operating our insurance business. We are not involved in any legal proceedings which reasonably could be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Refer to Note 12 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding legal proceedings.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Price for Common Stock
Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market ("Nasdaq") under the symbol "KNSL" on July 28, 2016. Before then, there was no public market for our common stock. Effective January 3, 2022, the Company transferred its common stock listing from the Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") and continued to trade under its current symbol "KNSL." As of February 14, 2025, we had 137 stockholders of record of our common stock.
Dividend Policy
We currently expect to pay quarterly cash dividends in the future; however, the declaration, payment and amount of future dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors gives consideration to various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K when determining whether to declare and pay dividends, as well as the amount thereof. Our Board of Directors may take into account a variety of factors when determining whether to declare any dividends, including (1) our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations (including our ability to generate cash flow in excess of expenses and our expected or actual net income), retained earnings and capital requirements, (2) general business conditions, (3) legal, tax and regulatory limitations, (4) contractual prohibitions and other restrictions, (5) the effect of a dividend or dividends on our financial strength ratings and (6) any other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant.
Our status as a holding company and a legal entity separate and distinct from our subsidiaries affects our ability to pay dividends and make other payments. As a holding company without significant operations of our own, the principal sources of our funds are dividends and other payments from our subsidiaries. The ability of our insurance subsidiary to pay dividends to us is subject to limits under insurance laws of the state in which our insurance subsidiary is domiciled. See "Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry – Because we are a holding company and substantially all of our operations are conducted by our insurance subsidiary, our ability to pay dividends and service our debt obligations depends on our ability to obtain cash dividends or other permitted payments from our insurance subsidiary" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources."
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Performance Graph
The performance graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return of an investment in (1) our common stock, (2) the cumulative total returns to S&P 500 and (3) the cumulative total returns to the S&P 500 P&C Index for the period from December 31, 2019 through December 31, 2024.
The graph assumes an initial investment of $100 and the reinvestment of dividends, if any. Such returns are based on historical results and are not indicative of future performance.
December 31,
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The table below sets forth information regarding repurchases by the Company of its common stock during the periods indicated.
(1) In October 2024, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of the Company's common stock. The shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, block purchases, accelerated share repurchase agreements or a combination of methods and pursuant to safe harbors provided by Rule 10b-18 and Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases under the share repurchase program will be determined by the Company in its discretion. The stock repurchase program does not require the Company to repurchase any specific number of shares and may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time.
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Item 6. Reserved
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The discussion and analysis below include certain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors described in "Risk Factors" that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, those forward-looking statements. See "Forward-Looking Statements."
Year ended December 31, 2023 compared to year ended December 31, 2022
For a comparison of years ended December 31, 2023 and December 2022, see “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024.
Overview
Founded in 2009, we are an established and growing specialty insurance company. We focus exclusively on the E&S market in the U.S., where we use our underwriting expertise to write coverages for hard-to-place, small- to medium-sized business risks and personal lines risks. We sell these insurance products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands primarily through a network of independent insurance brokers. We have an experienced and cohesive management team that has an average of over 30 years of relevant experience.
We have one reportable segment, our Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance segment, which offers P&C insurance products through the E&S market. In 2024, the percentage breakdown of our gross written premiums was 67.4% casualty and 32.6% property. Our commercial lines offerings and homeowner's coverage in the personal lines market represented 97.4% and 2.6% of our gross written premiums, respectively. Refer to Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for gross written premiums by underwriting division.
Our goal is to deliver long-term value for our stockholders by growing our business and generating attractive returns. We seek to accomplish this by generating consistent and strong underwriting profits while managing our capital prudently. We believe that we have built a company that is entrepreneurial and highly efficient, using our proprietary technology platform and leveraging the expertise of our highly-experienced employees in our daily operations. We believe our systems and technology are at the digital forefront of the insurance industry, allowing us to quickly collect and analyze data, thereby improving our ability to manage our business and reducing response times for our customers. We believe that we have differentiated ourselves from our competitors by effectively leveraging technology, vigilantly controlling expenses and maintaining control over our underwriting and claims management.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Gross written premiums
Gross written premiums are the amounts received or to be received for insurance policies written or assumed by us during a specific period of time without reduction for policy acquisition costs, reinsurance costs or other deductions. The volume of our gross written premiums in any given period is generally influenced by:
•New business submissions;
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•Conversion of new business submissions into policies;
•Renewals of existing policies; and
•Average size and premium rate of bound policies.
We earn insurance premiums on a pro rata basis over the term of the policy. Our insurance policies generally have a term of one year. Net earned premiums represent the earned portion of our gross written premiums, less that portion of our gross written premiums that is ceded to third-party reinsurers under our reinsurance agreements.
Ceded written premiums
Ceded written premiums are the amount of gross written premiums ceded to reinsurers. We enter into reinsurance contracts to limit our exposure to potential large losses. Ceded written premiums are earned over the reinsurance contract period in proportion to the period of risk covered. The volume of our ceded written premiums is impacted by the level of our gross written premiums and any decision we make to increase or decrease retention levels.
Fee income
Fee income includes policy fees charged to insureds and is recognized in earnings when the related premium is written. Policy fees are a flat charge to insureds and fee income is impacted primarily by the volume of business we write.
Losses and loss adjustment expenses
Losses and loss adjustment expenses are a function of the amount and type of insurance contracts we write and the loss experience associated with the underlying coverage. In general, our losses and loss adjustment expenses are affected by:
•Frequency of claims associated with the particular types of insurance contracts that we write;
•Trends in the average size of losses incurred on a particular type of business;
•Mix of business written by us;
•Changes in the legal or regulatory environment related to the business we write;
•Trends in legal defense costs;
•Wage inflation;
•Social inflation;
•Inflation in material costs, and
•Inflation in medical costs.
Losses and loss adjustment expenses are based on an actuarial analysis of the estimated losses, including losses incurred during the period and changes in estimates from prior periods. Losses and loss adjustment expenses may be paid out over a period of years.
Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses
Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses include policy acquisition costs and other underwriting expenses. Policy acquisition costs are principally comprised of the commissions we pay our brokers, net of ceding commissions we receive on business ceded under certain reinsurance contracts. Policy acquisition costs also include deferred underwriting expenses that are directly related to the successful acquisition of policies. The amortization of
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such policy acquisition costs is charged to expense in proportion to premium earned over the policy life. Other underwriting expenses represent the general and administrative expenses of our insurance business such as employment costs, telecommunication and technology costs, and legal and auditing fees.
Net investment income
Net investment income is an important component of our results of operations. We earn investment income on our portfolio of cash and invested assets. Our cash and invested assets are primarily comprised of fixed-maturity securities, and may also include equity securities, investments in real estate, cash equivalents, and short-term investments. The principal factors that influence the level of net investment income are the size of our investment portfolio and the yield on that portfolio. As measured by amortized cost (which excludes changes in fair value), the size of our investment portfolio is mainly a function of our invested equity capital combined with premiums we receive from our insureds less payments on policyholder claims. Net investment income also includes rental income and depreciation expense from our real estate investment property.
Change in fair value of equity securities
Change in fair value of equity securities consists of two components: (1) the reversal of the gain or loss recognized in previous periods on equity securities sold and (2) the change in unrealized gain or loss resulting from mark-to-market adjustments on equity securities still held.
Net realized investment gains (losses)
Net realized investment gains (losses) are a function of the difference between the amount received by us on the sale of a security and the security's amortized cost.
Income tax expense
Currently, substantially all of our income tax expense is comprised of federal income taxes. Our insurance subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance, is not subject to income taxes in the states in which it operates; however, our non-insurance subsidiaries are subject to state income taxes but have not generated any material taxable income to date. The amount of income tax expense or benefit recorded in future periods will depend on the jurisdictions in which we operate and the tax laws and regulations in effect.
Key metrics
We discuss certain key metrics, described below, which we believe provide useful information about our business and the operational factors underlying our financial performance.
Underwriting income is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define underwriting income as net income, excluding net investment income, net change in the fair value of equity securities, net realized investment gains and losses, change in allowance for credit losses on investments, interest expense, other income, other expenses and income tax expense. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net income in accordance with GAAP to underwriting income.
Net operating earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define net operating earnings as net income excluding the net change in the fair value of equity securities, after taxes, net realized investment gains and losses, after taxes and change in allowance for credit losses on investments, after taxes. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net income in accordance with GAAP to net operating earnings.
Loss ratio, expressed as a percentage, is the ratio of losses and loss adjustment expenses to the sum of net earned premiums and fee income.
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Expense ratio,expressed as a percentage, is the ratio of underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses to the sum of net earned premiums and fee income.
Combined ratio is the sum of the loss ratio and the expense ratio as presented. A combined ratio under 100% indicates an underwriting profit. A combined ratio over 100% indicates an underwriting loss.
Return on equity is net income as a percentage of average beginning and ending total stockholders’ equity during the period.
Operating return on equity is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define operating return on equity as net operating earnings expressed as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net income in accordance with GAAP to net operating earnings.
Net retention ratio is the ratio of net written premiums to gross written premiums.
Gross investment return is investment income from fixed-maturity and equity securities (and short-term investments, if any), before any deductions for fees and expenses, expressed as a percentage of the average beginning and ending book values of those investments during the period.
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Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2024 compared to year ended December 31, 2023
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands) 2024 2023 Change % Change
Change in allowance for credit losses on investments 526 (187) 713 NM
Operating return on equity (2) 29.2 % 31.8 %
NM - Percentage change is not meaningful
(1) Underwriting income is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net income in accordance with GAAP to underwriting income.
(2) Net operating earnings and operating return on equity are non-GAAP financial measures. Net operating earnings is defined as net income excluding the net change in the fair value of equity securities, after taxes, net realized investment gains and losses, after taxes, and change in allowance for credit losses on investments, after taxes. Operating return on equity is defined as net operating earnings expressed as a percentage of average beginning and ending total stockholders’ equity during the period. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net income in accordance with GAAP to net operating earnings.
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(3)The combined ratio is the sum of the loss ratio and expense ratio as presented. Calculations of each component may not add due to rounding.
Net income was $414.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $308.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $106.8 million, or 34.6%. The increase in net income in 2024 over 2023 was primarily due to a combination of continued profitable growth and strong investing results including higher investment income and higher unrealized gains on equity investments.
Underwriting income was $325.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $270.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $55.5 million, or 20.5%. The increase in underwriting income was primarily due to continued growth in the business offset in part by higher catastrophe losses. The corresponding combined ratios were 76.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 75.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Premiums
Gross written premiums were $1.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $1.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $301.5 million, or 19.2%. The increase in gross written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to higher submission activity from brokers and a favorable, yet increasingly competitive, pricing environment. The average premium per policy written by us was $15,100 in 2024 compared to $15,200 in 2023. Excluding our personal insurance division, which has relatively low premiums per policy written, the average premium per policy written was $15,900 in 2024 compared to $16,400 in 2023. Gross written premiums increased across substantially all of our underwriting divisions for the year ended December 31, 2024 and were most notable in the following lines of business:
•General Casualty, which represented approximately 9.0% of our gross written premiums in 2024, increased by $50.4 million, or 42.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2024;
•Excess Casualty, which represented approximately 13.1% of our gross written premiums in 2024, increased by $51.1 million, or 26.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2024;
•Small Business Casualty, which represented approximately 10.5% of our gross written premiums in 2024, increased by $21.5 million, or 12.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2024;
•Commercial Property, which represented approximately 24.4% of our gross written premiums in 2024, increased by $44.2 million, or 10.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 and
•Construction, which represented approximately 7.8% of our gross written premiums in 2024, increased by $10.4 million, or 7.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Net written premiums increased by $212.7 million, or 16.8%, to $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net written premiums was largely due to higher gross written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our net retention ratio was 79.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 80.6% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in the net retention ratio was primarily due to a higher cession rate on the commercial property quota share treaty effective with the June 2023 renewal, offset in part by an increase in our retention on our casualty treaty effective with the June 2024 renewal.
Net earned premiums were $1.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $1.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $277.9 million, or 25.9%. As previously discussed, the increase was due to growth in gross written premiums in 2024 compared to 2023.
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Loss ratio
The following table summarizes the effect of the factors indicated above on the loss ratios for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Year Ended December 31,
Loss ratio:
Current accident year - catastrophe losses 25,518 1.8 % 4,586 0.4 %
Our loss ratio was 55.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 54.6% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in the loss ratio for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due primarily to higher catastrophe losses incurred during the period and lower relative net favorable development of loss reserves from prior accident years. During the year ended December 31, 2024, current year incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses included $25.5 million of net catastrophe losses primarily attributable to Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Francine and tornadoes in the Midwest.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, prior accident years developed favorably by $37.7 million, of which $57.6 million was attributable to the 2021 through 2023 accident years due to lower emergence of reported losses than expected across most lines of business. This favorable development was offset in part by adverse development primarily from the 2017 through 2019 accident years due to construction defect claims that are more exposed to inflation, from the 2020 accident year due to a large property claim and more conservative actuarial assumptions in the 2021 through 2023 accident years for lines of business exposed to construction liability.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, prior accident years developed favorably by $35.8 million, of which $49.0 million was attributable to the 2021 and 2022 accident years due to lower emergence of reported losses than expected across most lines of business. This favorable development was offset in part by adverse development largely from the 2017 through 2019 accident years due to construction defect claims that are more exposed to inflation.
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Expense ratio
The following table summarizes the components of the expense ratio for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Year Ended December 31,
The expense ratio was 20.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 20.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in the expense ratio was primarily due to lower relative net commissions as a result of higher ceding commissions earned under the commercial property quota share treaty as a result of commercial property premium growth. Direct commissions paid as a percent of gross written premiums was 14.7% and 14.5% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Investing results
The following table summarizes the components of net investment income, change in the fair value of equity securities, net realized investment gains and change in allowance for credit losses on investments for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Year Ended December 31,
Cash equivalents and short-term investments 3,012 3,004 8
Change in allowance for credit losses on investments 526 (187) 713
Our net investment income increased by 46.9% to $150.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $102.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to growth in our investment portfolio largely generated from the investment of strong operating cash flows and higher interest rates relative to the prior year period.
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The weighted average duration of our investment portfolio, including cash equivalents, was 3.0 years and 2.8 years at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our investment portfolio, excluding cash equivalents and unrealized gains and losses, had a gross investment return of 4.4% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 4.0% as of December 31, 2023.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the change in the fair value of equity securities of $43.4 million included appreciation of common stocks, ETFs and non-redeemable preferred stocks of $23.7 million, $16.1 million and $3.6 million, respectively, generally consistent with the changes in the broader U.S. stock market.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the change in the fair value of equity securities of $15.3 million included changes in unrealized gains related to ETFs and common stocks of $12.8 million and unrealized gains related to non-redeemable preferred stock of $2.5 million. The change in the fair value of ETFs and common stocks during 2023 primarily reflected changes in the broader U.S. stock market.
We perform quarterly reviews of all available-for-sale securities within our investment portfolio to determine whether the decline in a security's fair value is deemed to be a credit loss. Based on our review, we recorded a reduction to credit loss expense of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to credit loss expense of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. See Note 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding credit losses.
Income tax expense
Our effective tax rate was approximately 19.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 19.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The effective tax rate was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the tax benefits from stock-based compensation, including stock options exercised, and tax-exempt investment income.
Return on equity
Our return on equity was 32.3% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 33.6% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Operating return on equity was 29.2% for 2024, a decrease from 31.8% for 2023. The decrease in operating return on equity was due primarily to higher average stockholders' equity as a result of continued profitable growth.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and uses of funds
We are organized as a Delaware holding company with our operations primarily conducted by our wholly-owned insurance subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance, which is domiciled in Arkansas. Accordingly, Kinsale primarily receives cash through (1) loans from banks, (2) issuance of equity and debt securities, (3) corporate service fees from our insurance subsidiary, (4) payments from our subsidiaries pursuant to our consolidated tax allocation agreement and other transactions and (5) dividends from our insurance subsidiary. We may use the proceeds from these sources to contribute funds to Kinsale Insurance in order to support premium growth, reduce our reliance on reinsurance, pay dividends and taxes, repurchase shares and for other business purposes.
We receive corporate service fees from Kinsale Insurance to reimburse us for most of the operating expenses that we incur. Reimbursement of expenses through corporate service fees is based on the actual costs that we expect to incur with no mark-up above our expected costs.
We file a consolidated federal income tax return with our subsidiaries, and under our corporate tax allocation agreement, each participant is charged or refunded taxes according to the amount that the participant would have paid or received had it filed on a separate return basis with the Internal Revenue Service.
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State insurance laws restrict the ability of Kinsale Insurance to declare stockholder dividends without prior regulatory approval. State insurance regulators require insurance companies to maintain specified levels of statutory capital and surplus. The maximum dividend distribution Kinsale Insurance may make absent the approval or non-disapproval of the insurance regulatory authority in Arkansas is limited by Arkansas law to the greater of (1) 10% of policyholder surplus as of December 31 of the previous year, or (2) net income, not including realized capital gains, for the previous calendar year. The Arkansas statute also requires that dividends and other distributions be paid out of positive unassigned surplus without prior approval. The maximum amount of dividends Kinsale Insurance can pay us during 2025 without regulatory approval is $351.9 million. Insurance regulators have broad powers to ensure that statutory surplus remains at adequate levels, and there is no assurance that dividends of the maximum amount calculated under any applicable formula would be permitted. In the future, state insurance regulatory authorities that have jurisdiction over the payment of dividends by Kinsale Insurance may adopt statutory provisions more restrictive than those currently in effect. Kinsale Insurance paid $47.0 million of dividends to us during 2024. See also "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry — Because we are a holding company and substantially all of our operations are conducted by our insurance subsidiary, our ability to pay dividends depends on our ability to obtain cash dividends or other permitted payments from our insurance subsidiary."
As of December 31, 2024, our holding company had $12.3 million in cash and investments, compared to $17.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
Management believes there is sufficient liquidity available at the holding company and in its insurance subsidiary, Kinsale Insurance, as well as in its other operating subsidiaries, to meet its operating cash needs and obligations for the next 12 months.
Real Estate
In December of 2022, we acquired real estate property adjacent to our current headquarters for $76.6 million. The property is comprised of two office buildings totaling over 580,000 square feet and a parking deck situated on approximately 29 acres of land. During 2023, we sold one office building and the parking deck for approximately $62.0 million in cash, net of seller’s costs, and determined we would occupy the remaining building for future expansion of our operations. Upon this determination, we reclassified the carrying value of the building to property and equipment within other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The building is currently under development for the Company's future headquarters and is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2025. Capital expenditures related to the renovation of the building may be funded through draw downs on our Credit Facility. The remaining $15.0 million presented on the consolidated balance sheet represents the portion of remaining real estate assets held for investment purposes.
Debt
In July 2022, we entered into a Note Purchase and Private Shelf Agreement (the "Note Purchase Agreement"), which provides for the issuance of senior promissory notes with an aggregate principal amount of up to $150.0 million. In September 2023, we entered into an amendment to the Note Purchase Agreement, which increased the authorized aggregate principal amount of senior promissory notes that may be issued thereunder to $200.0 million.
Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, on July 22, 2022 we issued $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.15% senior promissory notes (the "Series A Notes") and on September 18, 2023 we issued a $50.0 million aggregate principal amount 6.21% senior promissory note (the "Series B Note"), the proceeds of which were used to fund surplus at Kinsale Insurance, refinance indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. See Note 11 for further information regarding the Note Purchase Agreement.
In July 2022, we entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, which extended the maturity date to July 22, 2027, and increased the aggregate commitment to $100.0 million, with the option to increase the aggregate
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commitment by $30.0 million, subject to certain conditions. Borrowings under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement may be used for general corporate purposes (which may include, without limitation, to fund future growth, to finance working capital needs, to fund capital expenditures, and to refinance, redeem or repay indebtedness). See Note 11 for further information regarding the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement.
Shelf registration
In August 2022, we filed a universal shelf registration statement with the SEC that expires in 2025. We can use this shelf registration to issue an unspecified amount of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares and warrants. The specific terms of any securities we issue under this registration statement will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplements.
In November 2022, we completed an underwritten public offering and sold and issued 155,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $308.30 per share, to the underwriter. We received net proceeds from the offering of $47.5 million, which was used for general corporate purposes, including to fund organic growth.
Share repurchase program
In October 2024, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of our common stock. The shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market purchases, privately-negotiated transactions, block purchases, accelerated share repurchase agreements or a combination of methods and pursuant to safe harbors provided by Rule 10b-18 and Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases under the share repurchase program will be determined by us in our discretion. The stock repurchase program does not require us to repurchase any specific number of shares, and may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time. At December 31, 2024, the Company had $90.0 million of capacity remaining under its share repurchase program.
Cash flows
Our most significant source of cash is from premiums received from our insureds, which, for most policies, we receive at the beginning of the coverage period. Our most significant cash outflow is for claims that arise when a policyholder incurs an insured loss. Because the payment of claims occurs after the receipt of the premium, often years later, we invest the cash in various investment securities that earn interest and dividends. We also use cash to pay commissions to brokers, as well as to pay for ongoing operating expenses such as salaries, consulting services and taxes. As described under "—Reinsurance" below, we use reinsurance to manage the risk that we take on our policies. We cede, or pay out, part of the premiums we receive to our reinsurers and collect cash back when losses subject to our reinsurance coverage are paid.
The timing of our cash flows from operating activities can vary among periods due to the timing by which payments are made or received. Some of our payments and receipts, including loss settlements and subsequent reinsurance receipts, can be significant, so their timing can influence cash flows from operating activities in any given period. Management believes that cash receipts from premiums, proceeds from investment sales and redemptions and investment income are sufficient to cover cash outflows in the foreseeable future.
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Our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were:
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents provided by (used in):
Change in cash and cash equivalents $ (13,481) $ (29,580)
We have historically generated positive operating cash flows allowing our cash and invested assets to grow. The increase in cash provided by operating activities in 2024 compared to 2023 was due primarily to growth in business and the timing of claim payments and reinsurance recoveries.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash used in investing activities of $960.1 million reflected growth in our business operations. For the year ended December 31, 2024, funds from operations were used to purchase fixed-maturity securities, particularly corporate bonds and asset- and mortgage-backed securities of $1.6 billion, and to a lesser extent, municipal bonds of $3.7 million and sovereigns of $0.8 million. During 2024, we received proceeds of $289.4 million from sales of fixed-maturity securities, largely corporate bonds and mortgage- and asset-backed securities and $452.4 million from redemptions of asset- and mortgage-backed securities and corporate and municipal bonds. For the year ended December 31, 2024, purchases of equity securities of $156.5 million primarily consisted of common stocks and, to a lesser extent, ETFs. Proceeds from sales of equity securities of $34.4 million consisted of primarily ETFs and common stocks and, to a lesser extent, calls of non-redeemable preferred stock.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $860.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2023, funds from operations were used to purchase fixed-maturity securities, particularly corporate bonds and asset- and mortgage-backed securities of $1.3 billion, and to a lesser extent, sovereigns and government agency bonds of $26.3 million and municipal bonds of $4.9 million. During 2023, we received proceeds of $245.6 million from sales of fixed-maturity securities, largely corporate bonds and mortgage- and asset-backed securities and $176.5 million from redemptions of asset- and mortgage-backed securities and corporate bonds. For the year ended December 31, 2023, purchases of equity securities of $86.6 million primarily consisted of common stocks. Proceeds from sales of equity securities of $30.6 million consisted of primarily ETFs and common stocks. In addition, net sales of short-term investments of $36.7 million consisted of U.S. Treasuries, government agency and corporate bonds. Net cash used in investing activities also included proceeds of $62.0 million from the sale of a portion of our real estate investment property in the third quarter of 2023.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, net cash used in financing activities was $29.7 million and reflected dividends of $0.60 per common share, or $13.9 million in the aggregate and share repurchases of $10.0 million. Payroll taxes withheld and remitted on restricted stock awards were $7.0 million, offset in part by proceeds received from our equity compensation plan of $1.3 million.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in financing activities was $28.5 million and reflected proceeds of $50.0 million from the issuance of the Series B Note on September 18, 2023. Proceeds from the sale of our real estate investment were used to pay down $62.0 million from our Credit Facility. Financing activities also reflected dividends of $0.56 per common share, or $13.0 million in the aggregate. Proceeds received from our equity compensation plan were $0.9 million, offset by payroll taxes withheld and remitted on restricted stock awards of $4.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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Reinsurance
We enter into reinsurance contracts to limit our exposure to potential large losses. Our reinsurance is primarily contracted under quota-share reinsurance treaties and excess of loss treaties. In quota-share reinsurance, the reinsurer agrees to assume a specified percentage of the ceding company's losses arising out of a defined class of business in exchange for a corresponding percentage of premiums, net of a ceding commission. In excess of loss reinsurance, the reinsurer agrees to assume all or a portion of the ceding company's losses, in excess of a specified amount. In excess of loss reinsurance, the premium payable to the reinsurer is negotiated by the parties based on their assessment of the amount of risk being ceded to the reinsurer because the reinsurer does not share proportionately in the ceding company's losses.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, property insurance represented 32.6% of our gross written premiums. When we write property insurance, we buy reinsurance to significantly mitigate our risk to large losses. We use sophisticated computer models to analyze the risk of severe losses from weather-related events and earthquakes. We measure exposure to these catastrophe losses in terms of PML, which is an estimate of what level of loss we would expect to experience in a windstorm or earthquake event occurring once in every 100 or 250 years. We manage this PML by purchasing catastrophe reinsurance coverage. Effective June 1, 2024, we purchased catastrophe reinsurance coverage of $175.0 million per event in excess of our $60.0 million per event retention. Our property catastrophe reinsurance includes a reinstatement provision which requires us to pay reinstatement premiums after a loss has occurred in order to preserve coverage. Including the reinstatement provision, the maximum aggregate loss recovery limit is $350.0 million and is in addition to the coverage provided by our other property reinsurance.
Reinsurance contracts do not relieve us from our obligations to policyholders. Failure of the reinsurer to honor its obligation could result in losses to us, and therefore, we established an allowance for credit risk based on historical analysis of credit losses for highly rated companies in the insurance industry. The Company evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and monitors concentration of credit risk arising from its exposure to individual reinsurers. As of December 31, 2024, Kinsale Insurance has only contracted with reinsurers with A.M. Best financial strength ratings of "A-" (Excellent) or better. At December 31, 2024, the net reinsurance receivable, defined as the sum of paid and unpaid reinsurance recoverables, ceded unearned premiums less reinsurance payables, from five reinsurers represented 62.2% of the total balance. At December 31, 2024, we recorded an allowance for credit losses of $0.9 million related to our reinsurance balances.
Ratings
Kinsale Insurance has a financial strength rating of "A" (Excellent) from A.M. Best. A.M. Best assigns ratings to insurance companies, which currently range from "A++" (Superior) to "F" (In Liquidation). "A" (Excellent) is the third highest rating issued by A.M. Best. The "A" (Excellent) rating is assigned to insurers that have, in A.M. Best's opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders. This rating is intended to provide an independent opinion of an insurer's ability to meet its obligation to policyholders and is not an evaluation directed at investors. See also "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry — A decline in our financial strength rating may adversely affect the amount of business we write."
The financial strength ratings assigned by A.M. Best have an impact on the ability of the insurance companies to attract and retain agents and brokers and on the risk profiles of the submissions for insurance that the insurance companies receive. The "A" (Excellent) rating obtained by Kinsale Insurance is consistent with our business plan and allows us to actively pursue relationships with the agents and brokers identified in our marketing plan.
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Contractual obligations and commitments
Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses
Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses represent our best estimate of the ultimate cost of settling reported and unreported claims and related expenses. The estimation of loss and loss expense reserves is based on various complex and subjective judgments. Actual losses and settlement expenses paid may deviate, perhaps substantially, from the reserve estimates reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Similarly, the timing for payment of our estimated losses is not fixed and is not determinable on an individual or aggregate basis due to the uncertainty inherent in the process of estimating such payments.
See Note 7 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements and "—Critical Accounting Estimates" for a discussion of estimates and assumptions related to the reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses.
Reinsurance balances recoverable on reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses are reported separately as assets, instead of being netted with the related liabilities, since reinsurance does not discharge us of our liability to policyholders. The method for determining reinsurance recoverables for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses involves reviewing actuarial estimates of gross unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses to determine the Company's ability to cede unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses under the Company's existing reinsurance contracts.
See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements and "—Critical Accounting Estimates" for a discussion of reinsurance recoverables.
Debt
As of December 31, 2024, we had $125.0 million of 5.15% Series A Senior Notes outstanding. Principal payments are required annually beginning on July 22, 2030 in equal installments of $25.0 million through July 22, 2034, the maturity date. Interest accrues quarterly and is payable in arrears.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $50.0 million of the 6.21% Series B Senior Note outstanding. Principal payments are required annually beginning on July 22, 2030 in equal installments of $10.0 million through July 22, 2034, the maturity date. Interest accrues quarterly and is payable in arrears.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $11.0 million outstanding under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, which has a maturity of July 22, 2027. Interest on the outstanding amounts is based on 3-month Adjusted Term SOFR plus a margin of 1.625%. Interest accrues over the term of the interest rate and is payable in arrears.
See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements for further details regarding our debt obligations.
Real estate construction costs
We are currently renovating an existing office building for our new corporate headquarters and have entered into an agreement under which we have incurred obligations relating to the renovation. We expect the construction costs to be approximately $59.0 million and are currently targeting a fourth quarter 2025 completion date. At December 31, 2024 we incurred approximately $19.5 million of construction costs toward the project. Our contractual obligations include payments which will become due under the construction agreement and project development.
Financial Condition
Stockholders' equity
At December 31, 2024, total stockholders' equity and tangible stockholders' equity were $1.5 billion, compared to total stockholders' equity and tangible equity of $1.1 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in both total
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stockholders' equity and tangible stockholders' equity in 2024 compared to 2023 was primarily due to profits generated during the period and net activity related to stock-based compensation plans. These increases were offset in part by dividends declared during 2024, share repurchases and an increase in unrealized losses on available-for-sale investments, net of taxes. Tangible stockholders’ equity is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of stockholders' equity in accordance with GAAP to tangible stockholders' equity.
See Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for further details regarding our stock-based compensation plans.
Dividend declarations
On February 12, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. This dividend was paid on March 13, 2024 to all stockholders of record on February 27, 2024.
On May 15, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. This dividend was paid on June 13, 2024 to all stockholders of record on May 31, 2024.
On August 14, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. This dividend was paid on September 12, 2024 to all stockholders of record on August 29, 2024.
On November 13, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. This dividend was paid on December 13, 2024 to all stockholders of record on November 29, 2024.
On February 10, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.17 per share of common stock. This dividend is payable on March 13, 2025 to all stockholders of record on February 27, 2025.
Investment portfolio
At December 31, 2024, our cash and invested assets of $4.1 billion consisted of fixed-maturity securities, cash and cash equivalents, equity securities, short-term investments and real estate investments. At December 31, 2024, the majority of the investment portfolio was comprised of fixed-maturity securities of $3.5 billion that were classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale investments are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses on those securities, net of applicable taxes, reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income. At December 31, 2024, we also held $398.4 million of equity securities, which were comprised of common stocks, ETFs and non-redeemable preferred stock, $113.2 million of cash and cash equivalents, $15.0 million of real estate investments and $3.7 million of short-term investments. Our fixed-maturity securities, including cash equivalents, had a weighted average duration of 3.0 years and an average rating of "AA-" at December 31, 2024. Our investment portfolio, excluding cash equivalents and real estate investments, had a gross investment return of 4.4% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 4.0% as of December 31, 2023.
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At December 31, 2024, the amortized cost and estimated fair value of our fixed-maturity, equity, and short-term investments were as follows:
Amortized Cost Estimated Fair Value % of Total Fair Value
($ in thousands)
Fixed maturities:
Equity securities:
The table below summarizes the credit quality of our fixed-maturity securities as of December 31, 2024, as rated by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC ("Standard & Poor's") or equivalent designation:
Standard & Poor’s or Equivalent Designation Estimated Fair Value % of Total
($ in thousands)
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The amortized cost and estimated fair value of our available-for-sale investments in fixed-maturity securities summarized by contractual maturity as of December 31, 2024, were as follows:
Amortized Cost Estimated Fair Value % of Fair Value
($ in thousands)
Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties, and the lenders may have the right to put the securities back to the borrower.
Restricted investments
In order to conduct business in certain states, we are required to maintain letters of credit or assets on deposit to support state-mandated insurance regulatory requirements and to comply with certain third-party agreements. Assets held on deposit or in trust accounts are primarily in the form of cash or certain high-grade securities. The fair value of our restricted assets was $3.7 million and $5.8 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliation of underwriting income
Underwriting income is a non-GAAP financial measure that we believe is useful in evaluating our underwriting performance without regard to investment income. Underwriting income is defined as net income excluding net investment income, the net change in the fair value of equity securities, net realized investment gains and losses, change in allowance for credit losses on investments, interest expense, other expenses, other income and income tax expense. We use underwriting income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives us and users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Underwriting income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define underwriting income differently.
Net income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 reconciles to underwriting income as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
Change in the fair value of equity securities (43,367) (15,277)
Net realized investment gains (6,831) (6,040)
Change in allowance for credit losses on investments (526) 187
(1) Other expenses are corporate expenses not allocated to our insurance operations.
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Reconciliation of net operating earnings
Net operating earnings is defined as net income excluding the effects of the net change in the fair value of equity securities, after taxes, net realized investment gains and losses, after taxes, and the change in allowance for credit losses on investments, after taxes. Management believes the exclusion of these items provides a useful comparison of the Company's underlying business performance from period to period. Net operating earnings and percentages or calculations using net operating earnings (e.g., operating return on equity) are non-GAAP financial measures. Net operating earnings should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define net operating earnings differently.
Net income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 reconciles to net operating earnings as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
Adjustments:
Change in the fair value of equity securities, before taxes (43,367) (15,277)
Change in the fair value of equity securities, after taxes (34,260) (12,069)
Net realized investment gains, before taxes (6,831) (6,040)
Net realized investment gains, after taxes (5,396) (4,772)
Change in allowance for credit losses on investments, before taxes (526) 187
Income tax expense (benefit) (1) 110 (39)
Change in allowance for credit losses on investments, after taxes (416) 148
Operating return on equity:
Operating return on equity (4) 29.2 % 31.8 %
(1) Income taxes on adjustments to reconcile net income to net operating earnings use an effective tax rate of 21%.
(2) Average equity is computed by adding the total stockholders' equity as of the date indicated to the prior year-end total and dividing by two.
(3) Return on equity is net income expressed as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period.
(4) Operating return on equity is net operating earnings expressed as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period.
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Reconciliation of tangible stockholders' equity
Tangible stockholders’ equity is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define tangible stockholders’ equity as stockholders’ equity less intangible assets, net of deferred taxes. Our definition of tangible stockholders’ equity may not be comparable to that of other companies, and it should not be viewed as a substitute for stockholders’ equity calculated in accordance with GAAP. We use tangible stockholders' equity internally to evaluate the strength of our balance sheet and to compare returns relative to this measure.
Stockholders' equity at December 31, 2024 and 2023 reconciles to tangible stockholders' equity as follows:
December 31,
Less: Intangible assets, net of deferred taxes 2,795 2,795
Critical Accounting Estimates
We identified the accounting estimates which are critical to the understanding of our financial position and results of operations. Critical accounting estimates are defined as those estimates that are both important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and require us to exercise significant judgment. We use significant judgment concerning future results and developments in applying these critical accounting estimates and in preparing our consolidated financial statements. These judgments and estimates affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of our material contingent assets and liabilities, if any. Actual results may differ materially from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the consolidated financial statements. We evaluate our estimates regularly using information that we believe to be relevant. For a detailed discussion of our accounting policies, see the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
The reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses are the largest and most complex estimate in our consolidated balance sheet. The reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses represent our estimated ultimate cost of all unreported and reported but unpaid insured claims and the cost to adjust these claims that have occurred as of or before the consolidated balance sheet date. We estimate the reserves using individual case-basis valuations of reported claims and statistical analyses. The estimates are based on our historical data, industry data, and our analysis of future trends in loss severity, loss frequency, and other factors such as inflation. We regularly review our estimates and adjust them as necessary as experience develops or as new information becomes known to us. Such adjustments are included in current operations. Additionally, during the loss settlement period, it often becomes necessary to refine and adjust the estimates of liability on a claim. Even after such adjustments, ultimate liability may be higher or lower than the revised estimates. Accordingly, the ultimate settlement of losses and the related loss adjustment expenses may vary significantly from the estimate included in our consolidated financial statements.
We categorize our reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses into two types: case reserves and reserves for incurred but not reported losses ("IBNR"). Our gross reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses at December 31, 2024 were $2.3 billion, and of this amount, 90.4% related to IBNR. Our reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance, at December 31, 2024 were $2.0 billion, and of this amount, 90.0% related to IBNR. A 5% change in net IBNR reserves would equate to a $88.4 million change in the reserve for losses and
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loss adjustment expenses at such date, as well as a $69.8 million change in net income, a 4.7% change in both stockholders' equity and tangible stockholders' equity, in each case at or for the year ended December 31, 2024.
The following tables summarize our reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses, on a gross basis and net of reinsurance, at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Gross % of Total Net % of Total
($ in thousands)
Gross % of Total Net % of Total
($ in thousands)
Case reserves are established for individual claims that have been reported to us. We are notified of losses by our insureds or their brokers. Based on the information provided, we establish case reserves by estimating the ultimate losses from the claim, including defense costs associated with the ultimate settlement of the claim. Our claims department personnel use their knowledge of the specific claim along with advice from internal and external experts, including underwriters and legal counsel, to estimate the expected ultimate losses. During the life cycle of a particular claim, as more information becomes available, we may revise our estimate of the ultimate value of the claim either upward or downward. The amount of the individual claim reserve is based on the most recent information available.
Methodology
IBNR reserves are determined using actuarial methods to estimate losses that have occurred but have not yet been reported to us. We use several actuarial methods to arrive at our IBNR reserve estimates for each line of business. These methods estimate the reserves based on a variety of information including initial expected loss ratios, loss development patterns, paid losses, reported losses, claim counts and price indices. We use industry and peer-group data, in addition to our own data, as a basis for selecting our loss development patterns.
We reserve for large catastrophes after an event has occurred. Shortly after an occurrence, we review insured locations exposed to the event, modeled losses for our portfolio, and industry loss estimates for the event. We also consider frequency and severity from early claims reports to determine an appropriate reserve for the catastrophe. These reserves are reviewed frequently to reflect actual reported losses and changes to our estimates are made to reflect the new information.
Our Reserve Committee consists of our Chief Actuary and other select members of senior management. The Reserve Committee meets quarterly to review the actuarial recommendations made by the Chief Actuary. In establishing the actuarial recommendation for the reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses, our actuary estimates an initial expected ultimate loss ratio for each line of business by accident year. Input from our underwriting and claims departments, including premium pricing assumptions and historical experience, is considered by our actuary in estimating the initial expected loss ratios. During each quarter, the Reserve Committee
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reviews the emergence of actual losses relative to expectations by line of business to assess whether the assumptions used in the reserving process continue to form a reasonable basis for the projection of liabilities for those product lines. Our reserving methodology uses a loss reserving model that calculates a point estimate for our ultimate losses. Although we believe that our assumptions and methodology are reasonable, our ultimate payments may vary, potentially materially, from the estimates we have made.
In addition, we retain an independent actuary annually to review our estimate of reserves. The independent actuary is not involved in the establishment and recording of our loss reserve. The actuarial consulting firm prepares its own estimate of unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses, and we compare its estimate to the reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses reviewed and approved by the Reserve Committee to gain additional comfort on the adequacy of those reserves.
While we believe that loss reserves at December 31, 2024 are adequate, new information, events, or circumstances may result in ultimate losses that are materially greater or less than our estimates. As previously noted, there are many factors that may cause reserves to increase or decrease, particularly those related to catastrophe losses and long-tailed lines of business.
Key assumptions
Expected loss ratios are a key assumption in estimates of ultimate losses for business at an early stage of development. A higher expected loss ratio results in a higher ultimate loss estimate, and vice versa. Estimated loss development patterns are another significant assumption in estimating loss reserves. Accelerating a loss development pattern results in lower ultimate losses, as the estimated proportion of losses already incurred would be higher. We utilize industry benchmarks and peer group data to supplement our own data when estimating loss development patterns.
Each of the impacts described below is estimated individually, without consideration for any correlation among key indicators or among lines of business. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to take each of the amounts described below and add them together to estimate volatility for our reserves in total. For any one reserving line of business, the estimated variation in reserves due to changes in key indicators is a reasonable estimate of possible variation that may occur in the future. The variation discussed is not meant to be a worst-case scenario and, therefore, it is possible that future variation may be greater than the amounts shown below.
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The impact of reasonably likely changes in the two key assumptions used to estimate net loss reserves at December 31, 2024 is as follows:
Development Pattern Expected Loss Ratio
Property 10% lower Unchanged 10% higher
($ in millions)
Casualty Occurrence 5% lower Unchanged 5% higher
Casualty Claims-Made 5% lower Unchanged 5% higher
Reserve development
The amount by which estimated losses differ from those originally reported for a period is known as "development." Development is unfavorable when the losses ultimately settle for more than the amount reserved or subsequent estimates indicate a basis for reserve increases on unresolved claims. Development is favorable when losses ultimately settle for less than the amount reserved or subsequent estimates indicate a basis for reducing loss reserves on unresolved claims. We reflect favorable or unfavorable development of loss reserves in the results of operations in the period the estimates are changed. Refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements for discussion on our reserve development for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Fair value measurements
Like other accounting estimates, fair value measurements may be based on subjective information and generally involve uncertainty and judgment. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Market participants are assumed to be independent, knowledgeable, able and willing to transact an exchange and not acting under duress. Fair value hierarchy disclosures are based on the quality of inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). Adjustments to transaction prices or quoted market prices may be required in illiquid or disorderly markets in order to estimate fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:
Level 1 - Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets.
Level 2 - Inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and market-corroborated inputs.
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Level 3 - Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable for the asset or liability and are significant to the fair value measurement.
When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Thus, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Level 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3). The use of valuation methodologies may require a significant amount of judgment. During periods of financial market disruption, including periods of rapidly widening credit spreads or illiquidity, it may be difficult to value certain of our securities if trading becomes less frequent or market data becomes less observable. We review the fair value hierarchy classifications on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification for certain financial assets and liabilities.
Fair values of financial instruments in our investment portfolio are estimated using unadjusted prices obtained by our investment accounting vendor from nationally recognized third-party pricing services, where available. For securities where we are unable to obtain fair values from a pricing service or broker, fair values are estimated using information obtained from our investment accounting vendor. We perform several procedures to ascertain the reasonableness of investment values included in the consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2024, including (1) obtaining and reviewing the internal control report from our investment accounting vendor that obtains fair values from third party pricing services, (2) discussing with our investment accounting vendor its process for reviewing and validating pricing obtained from outside pricing services and (3) reviewing the security pricing received from our investment accounting vendor and monitoring changes in unrealized gains and losses at the individual security level.
Investment securities are subject to fluctuations in fair value due to changes in issuer-specific circumstances, such as credit rating, and changes in industry-specific circumstances, such as movements in credit spreads based on the market’s perception of industry risks. In addition, fixed maturities are subject to fluctuations in fair value due to changes in interest rates. As a result of these potential fluctuations, it is possible to have significant unrealized gains or losses on a security.
Reinsurance
We enter into reinsurance contracts to limit our exposure to potential large losses. Reinsurance refers to an arrangement in which a company called a reinsurer agrees in a contract (often referred to as a treaty) to assume specified risks written by an insurance company (known as a ceding company) by paying the insurance company all or a portion of the insurance company's losses arising under specified classes of insurance policies in return for a share in premiums.
Reinsurance recoverables recorded on insurance losses ceded under reinsurance contracts are subject to judgments and uncertainties similar to those involved in estimating gross loss reserves. In addition to these uncertainties, our reinsurance recoverables may prove uncollectible if the reinsurers are unable or unwilling to perform under the reinsurance contracts. In establishing our reinsurance allowance for credit losses, we evaluate the financial condition of our reinsurers and monitor concentration of credit risk arising from our exposure to individual reinsurers. To determine if an allowance is necessary, we consider, among other factors, published financial information, reports from rating agencies, payment history, collateral held and our legal right to offset balances recoverable against balances we may owe. Our reinsurance allowance for credit losses is subject to uncertainty and volatility due to the time lag involved in collecting amounts recoverable from reinsurers. Over the period of time that losses occur, reinsurers are billed and amounts are ultimately collected, economic conditions, as well as the operational and financial performance of particular reinsurers may change and these changes may affect the reinsurers’ willingness and ability to meet their contractual obligations to us. It is difficult to fully evaluate the impact of major catastrophic events on the financial stability of reinsurers, as well as the access to capital that reinsurers may have when such
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events occur. The ceding of insurance does not legally discharge us from our primary liability for the full amount of the policies, and we will be required to pay the loss and bear the collection risk if any reinsurer fails to meet its obligations under the reinsurance contracts. We target reinsurers with A.M. Best financial strength ratings of "A-" (Excellent) or better. Based on our evaluation of the factors discussed above, the allowance for credit losses related to reinsurance balances was $0.9 million at December 31, 2024.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 1 – "Summary of significant accounting policies" of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market risk is the risk of economic losses due to adverse changes in the estimated fair value of a financial instrument as the result of changes in interest rates, equity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. The primary components of market risk affecting us are credit risk, interest rate risk, and equity rate risk. We do not have significant exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk or commodity risk.
Credit risk
Credit risk is the potential loss resulting from adverse changes in an issuer's ability to repay its debt obligations. We have exposure to credit risk as a holder of fixed-maturity investments. Our risk management strategy and investment policy are designed to primarily invest in debt instruments of high credit quality issuers and to limit the amount of credit exposure with respect to particular ratings categories and any one issuer. At December 31, 2024, our fixed-maturity portfolio, including cash equivalents, had an average rating of "AA-." Additionally, at December 31, 2024, approximately 79.8% of our fixed-maturity portfolio, excluding cash equivalents, was rated "A-" or better by at least one nationally recognized rating organization. Our policy is to invest in investment grade securities and to minimize investments in fixed maturities that are unrated or rated below investment grade. At December 31, 2024, approximately 1.8% of our fixed-maturity portfolio, excluding cash equivalents, was unrated or rated below investment grade. We monitor the financial condition of all of the issuers of fixed-maturity securities in our portfolio.
In addition, we are subject to credit risk with respect to our third-party reinsurers. Although our third-party reinsurers are obligated to reimburse us to the extent we cede risk to them, we are ultimately liable to our policyholders on all risks we have ceded. As a result, reinsurance contracts do not limit our ultimate obligations to pay claims covered under the insurance policies we issue and we might not collect amounts recoverable from our reinsurers. We address this credit risk by selecting reinsurers that have an A.M. Best rating of "A-" (Excellent) or better at the time we enter into the agreement and by performing, along with our reinsurance broker, periodic credit reviews of our reinsurers. If one of our reinsurers suffers a credit downgrade, we may consider various options to lessen the risk of asset impairment, including commutation, novation and letters of credit.
Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that we will incur economic losses due to adverse changes in interest rates. The primary market risk to the investment portfolio is interest rate risk associated with investments in fixed-maturity securities and non-redeemable preferred stock. Fluctuations in interest rates have a direct effect on the market valuation of these securities. When market interest rates rise, the fair value of our fixed-maturity securities and non-redeemable preferred stock decreases. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the fair value of our fixed-maturity securities and non-redeemable preferred stock increases. We manage this interest rate risk by investing in securities with varied maturity dates and by managing the duration of our investment portfolio to the duration of our reserves. Expressed in years, duration is the weighted average payment period of cash flows, where the weighting is based on the present value of the cash flows. We set duration targets for our fixed-maturity investment portfolios after consideration of the estimated duration of our liabilities and other factors. The effective weighted-average duration of the portfolio, including cash equivalents, was 3.0 years as of December 31, 2024.
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We had fixed-maturity securities and non-redeemable preferred stock with a fair value of $3.6 billion at December 31, 2024 and $2.7 billion at December 31, 2023 that were subject to interest rate risk. The table below illustrates the sensitivity of the fair value of our fixed-maturity securities and non-redeemable preferred stock to selected hypothetical changes in interest rates as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
($ in thousands)
Changes in interest rates will have an immediate effect on comprehensive income and stockholders’ equity but will not ordinarily have an immediate effect on net income. Actual results may differ from the hypothetical change in market rates assumed in this disclosure. This sensitivity analysis does not reflect the results of any action that we may take to mitigate such hypothetical losses in fair value.
Equity risk
Equity risk represents the potential economic losses due to adverse changes in equity security prices. A portion of our portfolio is invested in ETF securities and common stock, which have historically produced higher long-term returns relative to fixed-maturity investments. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 9.2% of the fair value of our investment portfolio (including cash and cash equivalents) was invested in common stocks and ETFs. We manage equity price risk of our equity portfolio primarily through asset allocation techniques.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements
Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 68
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 68
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 72
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 76
Schedule V - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 113
Schedules other than those listed are omitted for the reason that they are not required, are not applicable or that equivalent information has been included in the financial statements or notes thereto or elsewhere herein.
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Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting:
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our 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.
Management does not expect that its internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. 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. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. 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, have been detected. The design of any system of internal control over financial reporting 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.
Management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Management reviewed the results of its assessment with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. Based on our evaluation, we have concluded that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024.
KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting, as stated in their report which is included herein.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Kinsale Capital Group, Inc.:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. and subsidiaries' (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
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, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes and financial statement schedules I, II, and V (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 21, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
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 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 the
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U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit 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 of internal control over financial reporting 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