Company Highlights
- Q2 2022 net income available to common stockholders of $349.7 million, or $3.74 per diluted common share
- Non-GAAP operating income1 available to common stockholders for the second quarter 2022 was $91.1 million, or $0.98 per diluted common share
- Repurchased $189 million or 4.95 million common shares in Q2 2022 as we remain committed to our capital return plans even in the current macro-economic environment
- Private asset deployment momentum continues with approximately $1.4 billion sourced in the quarter
- Yield and investment spread expansion driven by strong residential real estate returns and floating rate assets
American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (NYSE: AEL), a leading issuer of fixed index annuities (FIAs) today reported on its second quarter 2022 results. These results include improved yields in the investment portfolio, continued progress with our “best-in-class” asset origination partners, and continued share repurchase activities in-line with our capital return goals for this year.
Non-GAAP operating income1 available to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2022 was $91.1 million, or $0.98 per diluted common share. Second quarter 2021 net loss available to common stockholders was $(65.6) million, or $(0.69) per diluted common share, and non-GAAP operating income1 available to common stockholders of $93.8 million, or $0.98 per diluted common share.
Quarterly non-GAAP operating income1 available to common stockholders declined slightly year-over-year. Results for the quarter just ended reflected a substantial increase in average yield on invested assets compared to the year ago period due to strong returns on partnership and other market value investments, the significant reduction in cash balances over the last twelve months with the rebalancing of the investment portfolio, and lower operating expenses. The benefit of higher yield was offset by increases in the cost of money, commensurate increases in the amortization of the deferred acquisition cost and deferred sales inducement assets, and the increase in the liability for future policy benefits to be paid for lifetime income benefit riders (LIBR).
For the second quarter of 2022, net investment income increased $93 million from the comparable quarter of 2021 reflecting an increase in average yield on investments resulting from strong returns from partnerships and other mark-to-market assets, lower cash balances, and the increase in allocation to higher yielding privately sourced assets to 16.6% of the investment portfolio.
Compared to the second quarter of 2021, the change in the liability for future policy benefits to be paid for LIBR increased by $62 million, driven by higher benefit utilization and lower index credits realized in the second quarter of this year compared to a benefit from strong index credits in the second quarter of last year related to the upside from equity market performance.
Compared to the second quarter of 2021, amortization of deferred policy acquisition and sales inducement costs increased by $32 million, primarily reflecting the substantial improvement in investment income and the decline in index credits year-over-year.
As of June 30, 2022, notional value2 under reinsurance agreements – generating six to seven years of “fee-like” return on asset (ROA) earnings – was $4.5 billion, up from $4.3 billion three months earlier .
STRONG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT RESULTS
American Equity’s investment spread was 2.64% for the second quarter of 2022 compared to 2.51% for the first quarter of 2022 and 1.95% for the second quarter of 2021. On a sequential quarterly basis, the average yield on invested assets increased by 18 basis points – driven by the increase in short-term interest rates and lower allocation to cash and equivalents – while the cost of money increased 5 basis points. Adjusted investment spread excluding non-trendable items3 increased to 2.57% in the second quarter of 2022 from 2.45% in the first quarter of 2022.
Average yield on invested assets was 4.33% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 4.15% in the first quarter of 2022. The average adjusted yield on invested assets excluding non-trendable items3 was 4.28% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 4.12% in the first quarter of 2022. Relative to the prior quarter, the increase in the average adjusted yield in the second quarter of 2022 was primarily driven by an 8 basis point benefit due to higher short term rates and 9 basis points from the decrease in average cash balance. While the benefit from partnership income was lower than in the first quarter, this was mostly offset by appreciation in residential real estate assets. Partnerships and other mark-to-market assets contributed 20 basis points to average yield in the second quarter of 2022 in excess of rates of return assumed in our investment process.
Average cash and equivalents in the insurance companies’ portfolios was $526 million compared to $1.7 billion for the first quarter. Cash and equivalents in the insurance companies’ portfolios as of June 30, 2022 was $544 million or approximately 1% of the investment portfolio.
During the quarter, investment asset purchases totaled $2.0 billion and were made at an average rate of 4.88%, including approximately $1.4 billion of private assets at 5.10%.
American Equity CEO & President Anant Bhalla stated, “We continued to execute in our Investments pillar originating $1.4 billion of privately sourced assets as we worked closely with our ‘best-in-class’ asset origination partners to bring these yield enhancing assets to 16.6% of our investment portfolio compared to 15.4% three months earlier. While this number increased meaningfully in the quarter, we are, and will continue to be, primarily opportunistic investors compared to others who may be more programmatic in deployment in various private asset sectors. Therefore, we will benefit from partnerships that allow us to allocate to the most attractive relative value sectors, driven by our tactical asset allocation as different private asset sectors reprice risk-return attractiveness in the going forward macro-environment. This is a good indicator of the strategic benefits and resilience we expect from our curated approach to private asset investing.”
The aggregate cost of money for annuity liabilities of 1.69% in the second quarter of 2022 was up 5 basis points compared to the first quarter of 2022, in line with market costs. The cost of money in the second quarter of 2022 was positively affected by 2 basis points of over-hedging of index-linked credits compared to 3 basis points of hedge gain in the first quarter of 2022.
SALES FOCUS ON FIA AND PRICING DISCIPLINE4
Second quarter sales were $781 million, of which 99%, or $776 million, were in fixed index annuities. This is in line with the company’s focus strategy for driving low single-digit growth in FIA sales in 2022 as the macro-economic environment and interest rates go through a potential regime change based on Federal Reserve policy making action in light of sustained supply constraints in the economy and its outlook for balancing its mandate between stable prices and maximum employment. Compared to the second quarter of 2021, total enterprise FIA sales decreased 13% driven primarily by Eagle Life in the bank channel, while the Independent Marketing Organization (IMO) American Equity channel decreased 4%. On a sequential quarterly basis, FIA sales decreased 12% primarily due to lower sales in the IMO space.
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The forward-looking statements in this release or that American Equity uses on its conference call, such as ability, aim, anticipate, become, believe, can, continue, could, estimate, expect, exposure, forward, future, goal, grow, guidance, intend, introduce, likely, look to, may, might, need, opportunistic, opportunity, outlook, over time, plan, potential, predictable, prepare, proactive, project, ramp, risk, scenario, should, signal, strategy, stress test, target, then, to be, toward, trends, will, would, and their derivative forms and similar words, as well as any projections of future results, are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the “Risk Factors” the company describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Company’s future results could differ, and it has no obligation to correct or update any of these statements.
CONFERENCE CALL
American Equity will hold a conference call to discuss second quarter 2022 earnings on Tuesday, August 9, at 10:00 a.m. CDT.
The conference call will be webcast live on the Internet. Investors and interested parties who wish to listen to the webcast may register to access it on our IR website at https://ir.american-equity.com. An audio replay will also be available via the same link on our website shortly after the completion of the call for 30 days.
The call may also be accessed by telephone. Investors and interested parties may register for the call with the form available at this link, and upon submission (and via follow-up email) will receive the dial-in number and a unique PIN to access the call. Registration is available now or any time up to and during the time of the call. Registration is also available by visiting our IR website at https://ir.american-equity.com.
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