MCKINNEY, Texas, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Torchmark
Corporation (NYSE: TMK) reported today that for the quarter ended September
30, 2008, net income was $.72 per share (after a charge of $.80 per share
for impairment of invested assets) compared with $1.41 per share for the
year-ago quarter. Net operating income for the quarter was $1.51 per share,
a 9% per share increase compared with $1.38 per share for the year-ago
quarter.
Reconciliations between net income and net operating income are shown
in the Financial Summary below.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Net operating income, a non-GAAP financial measure, has long been
consistently used by Torchmark's management to evaluate the operating
performance of the Company, and is a measure commonly used in the life
insurance industry. It differs from net income primarily because it
excludes certain non-operating items such as realized investment gains and
losses and nonrecurring items which are included in net income. Management
believes that an analysis of net operating income is important in
understanding the profitability and operating trends of the Company's
business.
Financial Summary
(dollars in millions, except per share data)
Per Share
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
September 30, % September 30, %
2008 2007 Chg. 2008 2007 Chg.
Insurance underwriting income* $1.36 $1.28 6 $119.5 $119.9 -
Excess investment income 0.95 0.86 10 83.2 80.6 3
Parent company expense (0.02) (0.02) (1.6) (2.0)
Income tax (0.76) (0.72) 6 (67.0) (67.5) (1)
Stock option expense, net of tax (0.02) (0.01) (1.8) (1.2)
Net operating income $1.51 $1.38 9 $132.3 $129.7 2
Reconciling items, net of tax:
Gain on sale of agency buildings - 0.01 - 0.8
Realized gains (losses) on
investments (0.81) 0.01 (71.4) 0.9
Medicare Part D adjustment 0.04 0.02 3.2 1.5
Tax settlements 0.01 - 0.6 (0.1)
Net proceeds (cost) from legal
settlements (0.02) - (1.6) 0.1
Net income $0.72 $1.41 $63.2 $132.9
Weighted average diluted
shares outstanding (000) 87,811 94,061
* See definitions in the discussions below and in the Torchmark 2007 SEC
Form 10-K.
INSURANCE OPERATIONS - comparing the third quarter 2008 with third quarter
2007:
Life insurance accounted for 69% of the Company's insurance
underwriting margin for the quarter and 60% of total premium revenue.
Health insurance, excluding Medicare Part D, accounted for 27% of
Torchmark's insurance underwriting margin for the quarter and 34% of total
premium revenue. Medicare Part D accounted for 4% of insurance underwriting
margin and 6% of total premium revenue.
Net sales of life insurance increased 13%, while health sales,
excluding Medicare Part D, fell 49%.
Insurance Premium Revenue
Insurance Premium Revenue
(dollars in millions)
Quarter Quarter
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Sept. 30, %
2008 2007 Chg.
Life insurance $406.1 $392.7 3
Health insurance -
excluding Medicare Part D 230.9 253.1 (9)
Health - Medicare Part D 41.5 52.6 (21)
Annuity 3.5 4.9 (28)
Total $682.0 $703.3 (3)
Insurance Underwriting Income
Insurance underwriting margin is management's measure of profitability
of its life, health and annuity segments' underwriting performance, and
consists of premiums less policy obligations, commissions and other
acquisition expenses.
Insurance underwriting income is the sum of the insurance underwriting
margins of the life, health and annuity segments, plus other income, less
insurance administrative expenses. It excludes the investment segment,
parent company expense and income taxes.
Insurance Underwriting Income
(dollars in millions, except per share data)
Quarter Quarter
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, % of Sept. 30, % of %
2008 Premium 2007 Premium Chg.
Insurance underwriting
margins:
Life $108.0 27 $105.4 27 2
Health 41.9 18 44.8 18 (7)
Health - Medicare
Part D 6.4 16 6.4 12 -
Annuity 0.3 2.4 (87)
156.6 159.0
Other income 1.2 1.0
Administrative expenses (38.3) (40.1) (4)
Insurance underwriting
income $119.5 $119.9 -
Per share $1.36 $1.28 6
Insurance Results by Distribution Channels
Total premium, underwriting margins, first-year collected premium and
net sales by all distribution channels are shown at
http://www.torchmarkcorp.com on the Investor Relations page at Financial
Reports.
American Income Agency was Torchmark's leading contributor to total
premium revenue ($140 million) and total underwriting margin ($47 million).
Life premiums of $121 million were up 9% and life insurance underwriting
margin of $40 million was up 12%. As a percentage of life premium, life
underwriting margin was 33%, up from 32% and the highest of the major life
distribution channels at Torchmark. Producing agents grew to 2,887, up 10%
from a year ago, and up 3% during the quarter. Net life sales were $28
million, up 15%.
Direct Response was Torchmark's second leading contributor to total
premium revenue ($139 million) and total underwriting margin ($31 million).
Life premiums of $127 million were up 6%, and the life underwriting margin
of $30 million was up 2%. As a percentage of life premium, life
underwriting margin was 23%, down from 24%. Net life sales were $30
million, up 7%.
LNL Agency, was Torchmark's third leading contributor to total premium
revenue ($106 million), and total underwriting margin ($26 million). Life
premiums of $72 million were down 1% and life underwriting margin of $18
million was down 4%. As a percentage of life premium, life underwriting
margin was 24%, down from 25%. Producing agents grew to 3,476, up 69% from
a year ago, and up 9% during the quarter. Net life sales were $13 million,
up 47%.
UA Independent Agency was Torchmark's leading contributor to health
premium ($86 million) and health underwriting margin ($14 million). Health
underwriting margin as a percentage of premium was 16%. Net health sales
were $7 million, down 32%.
UA Branch Office Agency was Torchmark's second leading contributor to
health premium ($81 million), and health underwriting margin ($11 million).
Health underwriting margin as a percentage of premium was 13%. Net health
sales were $15 million, down 63%. Producing agents fell to 1,805, down 46%
from a year ago.
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan, which began January 1, 2006, is
distributed by Direct Response and the UA agencies. Third quarter 2008
premium revenue was $42 million for the 2008 plan year compared with $53
million in the year-ago quarter for the 2007 plan year. Underwriting margin
for third quarter 2008 was $6 million, same as the year ago quarter.
For GAAP reporting, Medicare Part D premiums are recognized evenly
throughout the year when they become due, and benefit costs are recognized
when the costs are incurred. Due to the design of the product, premiums are
evenly distributed throughout the year, but benefit costs are much higher
earlier in the year. As a result, under GAAP, benefit costs can exceed
premiums in the first part of the year but be less than premiums during the
remainder of the year. For net operating income purposes, Torchmark defers
excess benefits incurred in earlier interim periods to later periods in
order to more closely match the benefit cost with the associated revenue.
For the full year, the total premiums and benefits will be the same under
this alternative method as they are under GAAP. The Company reports this
difference between GAAP and management's non-GAAP disclosures, net of tax,
as a reconciling item for the interim periods in the Financial Summary
shown on page 1 of this release. A chart reconciling the Company's non-GAAP
financial presentation to a GAAP presentation may be viewed on the
Company's website at http://www.torchmarkcorp.com on the Investor Relations
page at Financial Reports.
Torchmark Annuities consist of variable and fixed annuity contracts.
Annuities comprised less than 1% of the Company's insurance underwriting
margin for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
Underwriting Margin
(dollars in millions)
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
Sept. 30, Sept. 30,
2008 2007
Underwriting margin:
Fixed Annuities $0.4 $0.4
Variable Annuities (0.1) 2.1
Total underwriting
margin $0.3 $2.4
The variable annuity business is Torchmark's only business where
revenue is subject to changes in equity markets.
Administrative Expenses were $38.3 million, down 4.4% from the year-ago
quarter due primarily to a decrease in litigation expense.
INVESTMENTS
Excess Investment Income - comparing the third quarter 2008 with the
third quarter 2007:
Management uses excess investment income as the measure to evaluate the
performance of the investment segment. It is net investment income reduced
by required interest. Required interest includes interest credited to net
policy liabilities and interest on debt.
Quarter Ended
Sept. 30,
(dollars in millions, except per share data)
%
2008 2007 Chg.
Net investment income $169.0 $163.0 4
Required interest:
Interest credited on net
policy liabilities (70.4) (64.9) 8
Interest on debt (15.4) (17.5)
Total required interest (85.8) (82.4) 4
Excess investment income $83.2 $80.6 3
Per share $0.95 $0.86 10
Net investment income increased 4%, in line with a 4% increase in
average invested assets. Interest credited on net policy liabilities
increased 8% in line with a similar increase in the related liabilities.
Interest on debt declined 12% due to a lower average rate on short-term
debt and a reduction in average short-term debt outstanding.
Investment Portfolio
The composition of the investment portfolio at September 30, 2008 is as
follows:
Invested Assets
(dollars in millions)
$ % of Total
Fixed maturities (at amortized
cost) $9,604 95%
Equities 17 -
Mortgage loans 18 -
Investment real estate 7 -
Policy loans 355 4%
Other long-term investments 55 1%
Short-term investments 66 1%
Total $10,121 100%
Fixed maturities by asset class are as follows:
Fixed Maturities
(at amortized cost)
Below
Investment Investment
Grade Grade Total
Corporate bonds $6,816 $629 $7,444
Redeemable preferred stock 1,381 69 1,450
Municipal 257 - 257
Government-sponsored enterprises 216 - 216
Government and agencies 24 - 24
Residential mortgage-backed
securities 24 - 24
Commercial mortgage-backed
securities 17 - 17
Collateralized debt obligations 131 - 131
Other asset-backed securities 40 - 40
Total $8,906 $698 $9,604
The market value of Torchmark's fixed maturity portfolio was $8.2
billion; $1.4 billion lower than amortized cost of $9.6 billion. The $1.4
billion of net unrealized losses compares to $0.7 billion at June 30, 2008.
This increase is due primarily to general economic conditions. Due to its
strong liquidity position, Torchmark not only has the intent, but also the
ability to hold these investments to maturity.
The investment portfolio contains no securities backed by sub-prime
mortgages. Torchmark has no counterparty risk as it is not a party to any
credit default swaps or other derivatives contracts and does not
participate in securities lending.
At amortized cost and market value, 93% of fixed maturities were rated
"investment grade."
The fixed maturity portfolio earned an annual effective yield of 7.0%
during the third quarter of 2008, same as the year-ago quarter.
Realized Capital Losses on Investments - during the quarter ended
September 30, 2008:
Torchmark has holdings in debt issued by Lehman Brothers and Washington
Mutual and preferred stock issued by Fannie Mae. These holdings had a book
value of approximately $103 million as of June 30, 2008. Management
determined that these investments are other than temporarily impaired,
resulting in a writedown of approximately $93 million ($70 million after
tax).
This impairment was computed in accordance with current accounting
requirements, under which investments determined to be other than
temporarily impaired are written down to their current fair value.
Management currently expects that the ultimate recovery value for these
investments will exceed current fair value, and as a result, that the
ultimate loss will be less than the current charge to income.
SHARE REPURCHASE - during the quarter ended September 30, 2008:
Torchmark's ongoing share repurchase program resulted in the repurchase
during the quarter of 2.0 million shares of Torchmark Corporation common
stock at a total cost of $116 million ($57.70 average cost per share).
Year-to-date, the Company has repurchased 5.9 million shares at a total
cost of $351 million at an average price per share of $59.18.
LIQUIDITY/CAPITAL:
Torchmark's operations consist primarily of writing basic protection
life and supplemental health insurance policies which generate strong and
stable cash flows. Less than 1% of underwriting revenue arises from asset
accumulation products where revenue is subject to changes in the equity
markets.
In addition, capital at the insurance companies is sufficient to
support current operations. Management expects the ratio of the Company's
regulatory capital to Company Action Level required capital to be in the
range of 305% to 315%, in line with recent years.
REVISED EARNINGS GUIDANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2008:
Torchmark projects that for the year ending December 31, 2008, net
operating income per share, including the share buy-back program, will
range from $5.85 to $5.89.
OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
More detailed financial information including various GAAP and Non-GAAP
ratios and financial measurements are located at
http://www.torchmarkcorp.com on the Investor Relations page under
"Financial Reports and Other Financial Information."
Note: Tables in this news release may not foot due to rounding.
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the federal securities laws. These prospective statements
reflect management's current expectations, but are not guarantees of future
performance. Accordingly, please refer to Torchmark's cautionary statement
regarding forward-looking statements, and the business environment in which
the Company operates, contained in the Company's Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2007, and any subsequent Forms 10-Q on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and on the Company's website at
http://www.torchmarkcorp.com on the Investor Relations page. Torchmark
specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement because of new information, future developments
or otherwise.
EARNINGS RELEASE CONFERENCE CALL WEBCAST:
Torchmark will provide a live audio webcast of its third quarter 2008
earnings release conference call with financial analysts at 11:00 a.m.
(Eastern) tomorrow, October 23, 2008. Access to the live webcast and replay
will be available at http://www.torchmarkcorp.com on the Investor Relations
page, at the Conference Calls on the Web icon. Immediately following this
press release, supplemental financial reports will be available before the
conference call on the Investor Relations page menu of the Torchmark
website at "Financial Reports and Other Financial Information."
SOURCE Torchmark Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.torchmarkcorp.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/885425.html/
CONTACT:
Mike Majors, Vice President, Investor
Relations of Torchmark Corporation, +1-972-569-3627,
tmkir@torchmarkcorp.com
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