The calculations of our expense ratios are shown below.
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Six Months Ended June 30, |
|
2025 |
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|
2024 |
|
|
Change |
Policy acquisition costs |
$ |
47,723 |
|
|
$ |
23,534 |
|
|
$ |
24,189 |
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|
General and administrative |
|
17,284 |
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|
|
23,190 |
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|
|
(5,906 |
) |
|
Total operating expenses |
$ |
65,007 |
|
|
$ |
46,724 |
|
|
$ |
18,283 |
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|
% of Gross earned premiums |
|
19.8 |
% |
|
|
14.8 |
% |
|
|
5.0 |
|
pts |
% of Net earned premiums |
|
44.3 |
% |
|
|
37.1 |
% |
|
|
7.2 |
|
pts |
Loss and LAE decreased $822,000, or 3.0%, to $26,929,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2025 from $27,751,000 for the same period in 2024. Loss and LAE expense as a percentage of net earned premiums decreased 3.6 points to 18.4% for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 22.0% for the same period in 2024. Excluding catastrophe losses and prior year reserve development, our gross underlying loss and LAE ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was 9.3%, an increase of 0.3 points from 9.0% during the six months ended June 30, 2024.
Policy acquisition costs increased $24,189,000, or 102.8%, to $47,723,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2025 from $23,534,000 for the same period in 2024. The primary driver of the decrease was a decrease in ceding commission income of $15,163,000 as the result of the Company's decrease in quota share reinsurance coverage from 40% to 20%, effective June 1, 2024 and from 20% to 15%, effective June 1, 2025. External management fees also increased $8,917,000 as a result of a one percent increase in the management fee and profit share accrual pursuant to the renewal terms of the contract with AmRisc in 2024.
General and administrative expenses decreased $5,906,000, or 25.5%, to $17,284,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2025 from $23,190,000 for the same period in 2024, driven by a non-recurring employee retention tax credit refund of $4,469,000 submitted to the Internal Revenue Service in 2022 and received during the first half of 2025. This non-recurring refund was previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on March 10, 2025, as a gain contingency. In addition, external spending for professional and consulting services decreased $2,540,000 quarter-over-quarter.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We generate cash through premium collections, reinsurance recoveries, investment income, the sale or maturity of invested assets, the incurrence of debt and the issuance of additional shares of our stock. We use cash to pay reinsurance premiums, claims and related costs, policy acquisition costs, salaries and employee benefits, other expenses and stockholder dividends, acquire subsidiaries and pay associated costs, as well as to repay debts, repurchase stock and purchase investments.
As a holding company, we do not conduct any business operations of our own and, as a result, we rely on cash dividends or intercompany loans from our management subsidiaries to pay our general and administrative expenses. Insurance regulatory authorities heavily regulate our insurance subsidiary, including restricting any dividends paid by our insurance subsidiary and requiring approval of any management fees our insurance subsidiary pays to our management subsidiaries for services rendered; however, nothing restricts our non-insurance company subsidiaries from paying us dividends other than state corporate laws regarding solvency. Our management subsidiaries pay us dividends primarily using cash from the collection of management fees from our insurance subsidiary, pursuant to the management agreements in effect between those entities. In accordance with state laws, our insurance subsidiary may pay dividends or make distributions out of that part of its statutory surplus derived from its net operating profit and its net realized capital gains. The Risk-Based Capital (RBC) guidelines published by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners may further restrict our insurance subsidiary's ability to pay dividends or make distributions if the amount of the intended dividend or distribution would cause their respective surplus as it regards policyholders to fall below minimum RBC guidelines. See Note 14 in our Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
The Company made a capital contribution of $8,269,000 to its reinsurance subsidiary, Shoreline Re during the six months ended June 30, 2025. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company made capital contributions of $1,265,000 to its reinsurance subsidiary, Shoreline Re. We may make future contributions of capital to our insurance subsidiaries as circumstances require.
During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company received a dividend of $23,000,000 from AmCoastal.
In September 2023, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “Agreement”) with Raymond James & Associates, Inc., as agent (the “Agent”), of up to 8,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”). Sales of the Shares under the Agreement will be made in sales deemed to be “at the market offerings”. The Agent is not required to sell any