ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORP - Quarter Report: 2017 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☑	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2017

OR

☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission File Number 0-3722

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(404) 266-5500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  ☑   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  ☑   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ☐  Accelerated filer ☐  Non-accelerated filer ☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company ☑  Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes  ☐   No ☑

 

The total number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock, $1 par value, outstanding on November 7, 2017 was 20,439,411.

 

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ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

 

ASSETS

 

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited; Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited; Dollars in thousands)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Unaudited; Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited; Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 ATLANTIC AMERICAN CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 (Unaudited; Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

Note 1.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atlantic American Corporation (the “Parent”) and its subsidiaries (collectively with the Parent, the “Company”).  The Parent’s primary operating subsidiaries, American Southern Insurance Company and American Safety Insurance Company (together known as “American Southern”) and Bankers Fidelity Life Insurance Company and Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company (together known as “Bankers Fidelity”) operate in two principal business units.  American Southern operates in the property and casualty insurance market, while Bankers Fidelity operates in the life and health insurance market.  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for audited annual financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein and these related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and the notes thereto, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the “Annual Report”).  The Company’s financial condition and results of operations and cash flows as of and for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the financial condition or results of operations and cash flows that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017 or for any other future period.

The Company’s significant accounting policies have not changed materially from those set out in the Annual Report.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Note 2.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”). This guidance applies to all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees and is designed to simplify several areas of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, forfeitures, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and related classification on the statement of cash flows.  The guidance requires the excess tax benefit or deficiency on vesting or settlement of awards to be recognized in earnings as an income tax benefit or expense, respectively.  The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 as of January 1, 2017.  Adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-07, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting (“ASU 2016-07”). This guidance eliminates the requirement to retroactively adopt the equity method of accounting when an investment qualifies for the use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership or degree of influence.  Under ASU 2016-07, the equity method investor is required to add the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee to the current basis of the previously held interest and adopt the equity method of accounting as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting.  The Company adopted ASU 2016-07 as of January 1, 2017.  Adoption of ASU 2016-07 did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-08, Receivables – Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities (“ASU 2017-08”). This guidance shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium to the earliest call date.  Under current GAAP, premiums and discounts on callable securities generally are amortized to the maturity date.  ASU 2017-08 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, although earlier adoption is permitted.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) ( "ASU 2014-09"). ASU 2014-09 as modified provides guidance for recognizing revenue. The guidance excludes insurance contracts and financial instruments. Revenue is to be recognized when, or as, goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that an entity is expected to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance is effective retrospectively on January 1, 2018, with a choice of restating prior  periods or recognizing a cumulative effect for contracts in place as of adoption. Early adoption is permitted as of January 1, 2017. The Company will adopt this ASU on January 1, 2018. Based on current evaluations, the adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

 

Note 3.

Investments

The following tables set forth the carrying value, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses and cost or amortized cost of the Company’s investments, aggregated by type and industry, as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

 

Bonds having an amortized cost of $11,219 and $11,435 and included in the tables above were on deposit with insurance regulatory authorities at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, in accordance with statutory requirements.

The carrying value and amortized cost of the Company’s investments in fixed maturities at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 by contractual maturity were as follows.  Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

 

The following table sets forth the carrying value, cost or amortized cost, and net unrealized gains (losses) of the Company’s investments aggregated by industry as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

The following tables present the Company’s unrealized loss aging for securities by type and length of time the security was in a continuous unrealized loss position as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

 

The evaluation for an other than temporary impairment is a quantitative and qualitative process, which is subject to risks and uncertainties in the determination of whether declines in the fair value of investments are other than temporary. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among other things, changes in general economic conditions, an issuer’s financial condition or near term recovery prospects and the effects of changes in interest rates. In evaluating a potential impairment, the Company considers, among other factors, management’s intent and ability to hold the securities until price recovery, the nature of the investment and the expectation of prospects for the issuer and its industry, the status of an issuer’s continued satisfaction of its obligations in accordance with their contractual terms, and management’s expectation as to the issuer’s ability and intent to continue to do so, as well as ratings actions that may affect the issuer’s credit status.

As of September 30, 2017, there were sixty-three securities in an unrealized loss position which primarily included certain of the Company’s investments in fixed maturities within the other diversified business and other diversified consumer sectors. Securities in an unrealized loss position reported in the other diversified business sector included gross unrealized losses of $1,006 related to investments in fixed maturities of five different issuers, all related to the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas companies represent a diversified group of businesses which include, among others, exploration and production, pipeline owners and operators, deep water offshore rig owners and operators, all of which we believe are in continuing stages of rationalizing their current operations, investments, future capital expenditures and carefully managing and modifying their capital and liquidity positions.  Based on publicly available information, the companies are continuing to assess and revise short-term, intermediate and long-term business plans in response to the current trends in oil and gas markets.  While these companies have generally experienced credit downgrades or may be currently under credit rating review, the Company believes that many of the downgrades are in response to external market forces and not necessarily specific credit events of any obligor which would currently indicate that an other than temporary impairment need be recorded.  All of the investees have continued to make regular interest payments on their debt when and as due and the Company continues to perform in-depth analyses of the publicly available financial disclosures of each of the investees on a regular basis.  The Company does not currently intend to sell nor does it expect to be required to sell any of the securities in an unrealized loss position. Based upon the Company’s expected continuation of receipt of contractually required principal and interest payments and its intent and ability to retain the securities until price recovery, as well as the Company’s evaluation of other relevant factors, including those described above, the Company has deemed these securities to be temporarily impaired as of September 30, 2017.

The following describes the fair value hierarchy and provides information as to the extent to which the Company uses fair value to measure the value of its financial instruments and information about the inputs used to value those financial instruments. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs in the valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels.

Level 1

Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. The Company’s financial instruments valued using Level 1 criteria include cash equivalents and exchange traded common stocks.

Level 2

Observable inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, for an asset or liability or prices for similar assets or liabilities. The Company’s financial instruments valued using Level 2 criteria include significantly all of its fixed maturities, which consist of U.S. Treasury securities and U.S. Government securities, obligations of states and political subdivisions, and certain corporate fixed maturities, as well as its non-redeemable preferred stocks. In determining fair value measurements of its fixed maturities and non-redeemable preferred stocks using Level 2 criteria, the Company utilizes data from outside sources, including nationally recognized pricing services and broker/dealers.  Prices for the majority of the Company’s Level 2 fixed maturities and non-redeemable preferred stocks were determined using unadjusted prices received from pricing services that utilize a matrix pricing concept, which is a mathematical technique used widely in the industry to value debt securities based on various relationships to other benchmark quoted prices.

Level 3

Valuations that are derived from techniques in which one or more of the significant inputs are unobservable (including assumptions about risk).  Fair value is based on criteria that use assumptions or other data that are not readily observable from objective sources. The Company’s financial instruments valued using Level 3 criteria consist of a limited number of fixed maturities. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the value of the Company’s fixed maturities valued using Level 3 criteria was $1,351 and $1,264, respectively. The use of different criteria or assumptions regarding data may have yielded materially different valuations.

 

As of September 30, 2017, financial instruments carried at fair value were measured on a recurring basis as summarized below:

(1)

All underlying securities are financial service industry related.

As of December 31, 2016, financial instruments carried at fair value were measured on a recurring basis as summarized below:

(1)

All underlying securities are financial service industry related.

The following tables provide a roll-forward of the Company’s financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

 

The Company’s fixed maturities valued using Level 3 inputs consist solely of issuances of pooled debt obligations of multiple, smaller financial services companies. They are not actively traded and valuation techniques used to measure fair value are based on future estimated cash flows (based on current cash flows) discounted at reasonable estimated rates of interest.  There are no assumed prepayments and/or default probability assumptions as a majority of these instruments contain certain U.S. government agency strips to support repayment of the principal.  Other qualitative and quantitative information received from the original underwriter of the pooled offerings is also considered, as applicable.

The following table is a summary of realized investment gains (losses) for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.

Note 4.

Fair Values of Financial Instruments

The estimated fair values have been determined by the Company using available market information from various market sources and appropriate valuation methodologies as of the respective dates.  However, considerable judgment is necessary to interpret market data and to develop the estimates of fair value.  Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the estimated fair value amounts, the estimates presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the amounts which the Company could realize in a current market exchange.  The use of different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts.

The following table sets forth the carrying amount, estimated fair value and level within the fair value hierarchy of the Company’s financial instruments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

(1)

See Note 3 for a description of the fair value hierarchy as well as a disclosure of levels for classes of these financial assets.

There have not been any transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 during the periods presented in these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

Note 5.

Liabilities for Unpaid Losses, Claims and Loss Adjustment Expenses

The roll-forward of liabilities for unpaid losses, claims and loss adjustment expenses, by major product, is as follows:

(1)

In establishing property and casualty reserves, the Company initially reserves for losses at the higher end of the reasonable range if no other value within the range is determined to be more probable.  Selection of such an initial loss estimate is an attempt by management to give recognition that initial claims information received generally is not conclusive with respect to legal liability, is generally not comprehensive with respect to magnitude of loss and generally, based on historical experience, will develop more adversely as time passes and more information becomes available.  However, as a result, the Company generally experiences reserve redundancies when analyzing the development of prior year losses in a current period.

 

Following is a reconciliation of total incurred losses to total insurance benefits and losses incurred:

 

Note 6.

Junior Subordinated Debentures

The Company has two unconsolidated Connecticut statutory business trusts, which exist for the exclusive purposes of: (i) issuing trust preferred securities (“Trust Preferred Securities”) representing undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the trusts; (ii) investing the gross proceeds of the Trust Preferred Securities in junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures (“Junior Subordinated Debentures”) of Atlantic American; and (iii) engaging in those activities necessary or incidental thereto.

The financial structure of each of Atlantic American Statutory Trust I and II as of September 30, 2017 was as follows:

(1)

For each of the respective debentures, the Company has the right at any time, and from time to time, to defer payments of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures for a period not exceeding 20 consecutive quarters up to the debentures’ respective maturity dates.  During any such period, interest will continue to accrue and the Company may not declare or pay any cash dividends or distributions on, or purchase, the Company’s common stock nor make any principal, interest or premium payments on or repurchase any debt securities that rank equally with or junior to the Junior Subordinated Debentures.  The Company has the right at any time to dissolve each of the trusts and cause the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be distributed to the holders of the Trust Preferred Securities.

(2)

The Junior Subordinated Debentures are unsecured and rank junior and subordinate in right of payment to all senior debt of the Parent and are effectively subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of its subsidiaries.

(3)

On August 4, 2014, the Company acquired $7,500 of the Junior Subordinated Debentures.

(4)

The Parent has guaranteed, on a subordinated basis, all of the obligations under the Trust Preferred Securities, including payment of the redemption price and any accumulated and unpaid distributions to the extent of available funds and upon dissolution, winding up or liquidation.

 

Note 7.

Earnings Per Common Share

A reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used in the earnings per common share calculations is as follows:

 

The assumed conversion of the Company’s Series D preferred stock was excluded from the earnings per common share calculation for all periods presented since its impact would have been antidilutive.

 

Note 8.

Income Taxes