Maiden Holdings, Ltd. Announces First Quarter of 2020 Financial Results

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MHLD) ("Maiden" or the "Company") today reported first quarter 2020 net income of $20.9 million or $0.25 per diluted common share, compared to a net loss of $36.6 million or $0.44 per diluted common share in the first quarter of 2019.

Non-GAAP operating earnings⁽⁵⁾ were $3.1 million or $0.04 per diluted common share for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of $27.6 million or $0.33 per diluted common share for the same period in 2019.

Maiden's book value per common share⁽¹⁾ was $0.24 at March 31, 2020 compared to $0.51 at December 31, 2019. On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted for the unamortized deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance recognized as of March 31, 2020 of $113.0 million, the adjusted book value per common share⁽²⁾ was $1.59 at March 31, 2020. Book value per common share on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis was adversely affected by $44.1 million or $0.53 per share in unrealized losses on fixed income investments during the first quarter 2020, largely the result of elevated volatility in the financial markets brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the first quarter of 2020 financial results, Lawrence F. Metz, Maiden's President and Co-Chief Executive Officer said, "We are pleased to report our first quarterly profit in two years. As our loss experience continues to moderate and we continue to reduce our operating expenses, we remain focused on sustaining and increasing Maiden's profitability. We are fortunate in these turbulent times that the application of government restrictions in the United States, Bermuda and Europe have not substantially affected our operations. We believe that we have immaterial exposure to claims from the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have taken all necessary actions to ensure the safety and security of our employees as our contingency plans have allowed us to operate effectively in a virtual environment."

Patrick J. Haveron, Maiden's Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer added, "We are pleased to have completed our first quarter on a strong note after the re-domestication of Maiden Reinsurance Ltd. from Bermuda to Vermont. We were able to capture realized investment gains ahead of the market volatility in March which both contributed to the strong quarterly result and reduced the impact to book value from COVID-19 related market volatility. Prior year loss experience was benign during the first quarter and while the loss development of our run-off portfolio will require further maturity to fully emerge, recent trends have been less adverse, although there is no guarantee these trends will persist. We remain comfortable that the amount of limit available in our LPT/ADC with Enstar is sufficient and with nearly $2.6 billion in investable assets and a strong capital position now restored, we are working to identify strategies to deploy those assets and capital to create value for our shareholders."

Consolidated Results for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2020

Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $20.9 million compared to a net loss of $36.6 million for the same period in 2019. The net improvement in results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 was primarily due to the following:

• net income from continuing operations of $20.9 million compared to net loss from continuing operations of $33.9 million for the same period in 2019 largely due to the following factors:
  • underwriting loss⁽⁴⁾ of $3.7 million compared to $42.7 million in the same period in 2019. The reduction in the underwriting loss was due to:
    • the impact of lower loss ratios combined with lower current year premiums earned during the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019; and
    • favorable prior year loss development of $0.5 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared to adverse prior year loss development of $7.3 million during the same period in 2019 which had been incurred primarily within the AmTrust Reinsurance segment.
  • realized gains on investment of $11.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to realized losses of $11.1 million for the same period in 2019; and
  • foreign exchange and other gains of $8.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to foreign exchange and other gains of $5.0 million for the same period in 2019.
• No net income or loss from discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to a net loss from discontinued operations of $2.7 million for the same period in 2019.

Net premiums written for the three months ended March 31, 2020 were $10.4 million compared to net premiums written of $(561.5) million in the same respective period in 2019. Premiums written in the Diversified Reinsurance segment decreased by $4.6 million or 30.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 due to lower premiums written in German Auto programs within our IIS business. There were no new written premiums within the AmTrust Reinsurance segment due to the termination of both the AmTrust Quota Share and the European Hospital Liability Quota Share effective January 1, 2019. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, the negative premiums written were primarily the result of the Partial Termination Amendment which resulted in Maiden Reinsurance Ltd. ("Maiden Reinsurance") returning approximately $648.0 million in unearned premium to AmTrust International Insurance, Ltd., or $436.8 million net of applicable ceding commission and brokerage.

Net premiums earned decreased by $151.9 million or 83.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 due to the combined impact of the terminated quota share contracts within the AmTrust Reinsurance segment, non-renewals in Maiden Reinsurance's European Capital Solutions business and a reduction in the German Auto programs produced by our IIS unit within its Diversified Reinsurance segment.

Net investment income decreased by $14.1 million or 43.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same respective period in 2019, primarily due to the decline in average investable assets of 34.4% in those same periods. The decline in investable assets is largely due to the cessation of active reinsurance underwriting and other initiatives resulting from the Strategic Review that was commenced in 2018 and has been responsible for significant negative operating cash flows as we run-off our existing reinsurance liabilities. Lower investment income was also impacted by the decline in average book yields to 2.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to 3.1% for the same period in 2019. Net realized gains on investment were $11.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to net realized losses of $11.1 million for the same respective period in 2019. The realized gains for the three months ended March 31, 2020 were primarily due to sales of corporate bonds during the first quarter of 2020 for the settlement of claim payments to AmTrust.

Net loss and LAE decreased by $131.6 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same respective period in 2019 largely due to the termination of the AmTrust Reinsurance quota share agreements effective January 1, 2019. Net loss and LAE for the first quarter of 2020 was impacted by net favorable prior year reserve development of $0.5 million compared to net adverse prior year reserve development of $7.3 million during the same period in 2019. Commission and other acquisition expenses decreased by $57.6 million or 82.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to the same respective period in 2019 due to significantly lower earned premiums in both of our reportable segments. The commission and other acquisition expense in the first quarters of 2020 and 2019 includes $0.9 million and $7.7 million, respectively of additional ceding commission agreed under the Partial Termination Amendment.

Total general and administrative expenses decreased by $8.1 million, or 48.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019 largely due to a continued decrease in salary, benefits and other corporate expenses associated with the Strategic Review and related headcount reductions since 2018. The Company estimates that it incurred operating expenses of approximately $0.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020 which it believes will not recur in future periods.

Non-GAAP Operating Results for the three months ended March 31, 2020

Non-GAAP operating earnings⁽⁵⁾ was $3.1 million or $0.04 per diluted common share for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of $27.6 million or $(0.33) per diluted common share for the same period in 2019.

In addition to other adjustments, management has adjusted the GAAP net operating loss and underwriting results by recognizing the unamortized deferred gain arising from the LPT/ADC Agreement which is fully recoverable from Cavello to show the ultimate economic benefit of the LPT/ADC Agreement to Maiden. The amount recognized as an unamortized deferred gain liability pursuant to this agreement was $113.0 million as of March 31, 2020 remained unchanged from December 31, 2019.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the non-GAAP operating results are primarily the result of underwriting results not covered by the LPT/ADC Agreement, specifically the run-off of AmTrust quota share business with losses occurring after December 31, 2018 (including the additional ceding commission paid under the Partial Termination Amendment) as well as claims related to the European Hospital Liability Quota Share. In addition, as previously noted, the Company estimates that it incurred operating expenses of approximately $0.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020, which it believes will not recur in future periods.

Similar to the reported GAAP result, the improvement in the non-GAAP operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 primarily reflects the improved underwriting results described above.

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and Other Financial Matters

The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2020. Additional information on the matters reported in this news release along with other required disclosures including risk factors related to COVID-19 can be found in that filing.

Total assets were $3.3 billion at March 31, 2020, compared to $3.6 billion at December 31, 2019. Shareholders' equity was $485.0 million at March 31, 2020, compared to $507.7 million at December 31, 2019. Adjusted shareholders' equity⁽²⁾ was $597.9 million at March 31, 2020, compared to adjusted shareholders' equity of $620.7 million at December 31, 2019 reflecting the unamortized deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance of $113.0 million.

The Company has discontinued the presentation of certain non-GAAP measures such as combined ratio and its related components in this news release, as it believes that as the run-off of its reinsurance portfolios progresses, such ratios are increasingly not meaningful and of less value to readers as they evaluate the financial results of the Company. The Company has, for the time being, continued to utilize such non-GAAP measures on a quarterly basis in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Quarterly Dividends

The Company's Board of Directors did not authorize any quarterly dividends related to either its common shares or any series of its preferred shares.

About Maiden Holdings, Ltd.

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. is a Bermuda-based holding company formed in 2007.

(1)(2)(4)(5) Please see the Non-GAAP Financial Measures table for additional information on these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliation of these measures to GAAP measures.

Special Note about Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to the Company's business plans, objectives and expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include general statements both with respect to the Company and the insurance industry and generally are identified with the words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "predict", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "project", "seek", "potential", "possible", "could", "might", "may", "should", "will", "would", "will be", "will continue", "will likely result" and similar expressions. In light of the risks and uncertainties inherent in all forward-looking statements, the inclusion of such statements in this press release should not be considered as a representation by the Company or any other person that the Company's objectives or plans or other matters described in any forward-looking statement will be achieved. These statements are based on current plans, estimates, assumptions and expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements and therefore, you should not place undue reliance on them. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements are set forth in Item 1A "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are complex, uncertain and rapidly evolving. We therefore may not be able to accurately predict the longer-term effects that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our financial condition or results of operations. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our financial condition or results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening additional risks described in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The Company cautions that the list of important risk factors in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020 is not intended to be and is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or individuals acting on the Company's behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. If one or more risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the Company's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, the Company's actual results may vary materially from what was projected. Any forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the Company's current view with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company's operations, results of operations, growth, strategy and liquidity. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements which speak only as of the dates of the documents in which such statements were made.