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DONEGAL GROUP INC - Quarter Report: 2021 March (Form 10-Q)

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM
10-Q
 
 
(Mark One)
 
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021
OR
 
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from                 to                 .
Commission file number
0-15341
 
 
Donegal Group Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
   
Delaware
 
23-2424711
   
   
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
   
1195 River Road, P.O. Box 302, Marietta, PA 17547
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
(717)
426-1931
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not applicable
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether 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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
S-T
(§232.405 of this chapter) 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, a 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. (Check one):
 
Large accelerated filer ☐   Accelerated filer ☑  
Non-accelerated
filer ☐
  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 ☒

Table of Contents
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
 
Title of Each Class   Trading Symbols   Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A Common Stock, $.01 par value
 
DGICA
 
The NASDAQ Global Select Market
     
Class B Common Stock
, $.01 par value
 
DGICB
 
The NASDAQ Global Select Market
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 25,287,115 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 5,576,775 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding on April 30, 2021.

Table of Contents
DONEGAL GROUP INC.
INDEX TO FORM
10-Q
REPORT
 
         Page  
PART I
  FINANCIAL INFORMATION         
Item 1.
       1  
Item 2.
       16  
Item 3.
       24  
Item 4.
       24  
     
PART II
  OTHER INFORMATION         
Item 1.
       25  
Item 1A.
       25  
Item 2.
       26  
Item 3.
       26  
Item 4.
       26  
Item 5.
       26  
Item 6.
       27  
        
 

Table of Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
Financial Statements
Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
    
March 31,
2021
   
December 31,
2020
 
     (Unaudited)        
Assets
                
Investments
                
Fixed maturities
                
Held to maturity, at amortized cost
   $ 613,485,144     $ 586,609,439  
Available for sale, at fair value
     497,654,660       555,136,017  
Equity securities, at fair value
     68,639,946       58,556,173  
Short-term investments, at cost, which approximates fair value
     21,098,394       20,900,155  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total investments
     1,200,878,144       1,221,201,784  
Cash
     102,391,547       103,094,236  
Accrued investment income
     8,946,304       7,936,879  
Premiums receivable
     181,608,350       169,596,332  
Reinsurance receivable
     426,339,825       408,908,850  
Deferred policy acquisition costs
     64,530,713       59,156,958  
Deferred tax asset, net
     6,718,013       5,683,113  
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
     181,099,859       169,418,333  
Property and equipment, net
     3,650,378       4,390,377  
Accounts receivable - securities
     72,387       67,676  
Federal income taxes recoverable
     940,613       3,089,369  
Goodwill
     5,625,354       5,625,354  
Other intangible assets
     958,010       958,010  
Other
     1,461,163       1,393,053  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total assets
   $ 2,185,220,660     $ 2,160,520,324  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
                
Liabilities
                
Losses and loss expenses
   $ 996,978,876     $ 962,007,437  
Unearned premiums
     577,481,172       537,189,598  
Accrued expenses
     23,562,671       29,115,198  
Reinsurance balances payable
     3,814,566       3,233,523  
Borrowings under lines of credit
     35,000,000       85,000,000  
Cash dividends declared to stockholders
           4,436,301  
Subordinated debentures
     5,000,000       5,000,000  
Accounts payable - securities
     2,177,340        
Due to affiliate
     3,921,089       10,293,495  
Other
     8,050,456       6,470,652  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total liabilities
     1,655,986,170       1,642,746,204  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Stockholders’ Equity
                
Preferred stock, $.01 par value, authorized 2,000,000 shares; none issued
            
Class A common stock, $.01 par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares, issued 28,031,234 and 27,651,774 shares and outstanding 25,028,646 and 24,649,186 shares
     280,313       276,518  
Class B common stock, $.01 par value, authorized 10,000,000 shares, issued 5,649,240 shares and outstanding 5,576,775 shares
     56,492       56,492  
Additional
paid-in
capital
     294,397,593       289,149,567  
Accumulated other comprehensive income
     6,923,497       11,130,612  
Retained earnings
     268,802,952       258,387,288  
Treasury stock, at cost
     (41,226,357     (41,226,357
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total stockholders’ equity
     529,234,490       517,774,120  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
   $ 2,185,220,660     $ 2,160,520,324  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
1

Table of Contents
Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Unaudited)
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
Revenues:
                 
Net premiums earned
   $ 187,251,600      $ 187,252,778  
Investment income, net of investment expenses
     7,510,578        7,376,284  
Net investment gains (losses) (includes
($
29,186
)
 
and $421,835 accumulated other comprehensive income reclassifications)
     2,469,054        (10,694,843
Lease income
     107,767        109,267  
Installment payment fees
     630,899        867,720  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total revenues
     197,969,898        184,911,206  
Expenses:
                 
Net losses and loss expenses
     119,219,747        117,246,526  
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs
     30,179,000        29,937,000  
Other underwriting expenses
     33,782,050        32,597,629  
Policyholder dividends
     1,294,021        1,842,000  
Interest
     312,326        224,330  
Other expenses, net
     432,069        560,550  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total expenses
     185,219,213        182,408,035  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Income before income tax expense (benefit)
     12,750,685        2,503,171  
Income tax expense (benefit) (includes ($
6,129
)
and $88,585
 
income tax (benefit) expense from reclassification items)
     2,220,837        (1,227,950
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net income
   $ 10,529,848      $ 3,731,121  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Earnings per common share:
                 
Class A common stock - basic and diluted
   $ 0.35      $ 0.13  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Class B common stock - basic and diluted
   $ 0.32      $ 0.12  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
   
2020
 
Net income
   $ 10,529,848     $ 3,731,121  
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax
                
Unrealized (loss) gain on securities:
                
Unrealized holding (loss) gain during the period, net of income tax (benefit) expense of ($
1,125,625
) and 
$939,175
     (4,230,172     3,533,090  
Reclassification adjustment for losses (gains) included in net income, net of income tax (benefit) expense of (
$6,129
) and 
$
88,585
     23,057       (333,250
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Other comprehensive (loss) income
     (4,207,115     3,199,840  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Comprehensive income
   $ 6,322,733     $ 6,930,961  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
2

Table of Contents
Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 

(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
 
     Class A
Shares
     Class B
Shares
     Class A
Amount
     Class B
Amount
     Additional
Paid-In
Capital
     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
    Retained
Earnings
    Treasury Stock     Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
Balance, December 31, 2020
     27,651,774        5,649,240      $ 276,518      $ 56,492      $ 289,149,567      $ 11,130,612      $ 258,387,288     $ (41,226,357   $ 517,774,120  
Issuance of common stock (stock compensation plans)
     33,336               334               419,454                           419,788  
Share-based compensation
     346,124               3,461               4,719,388                           4,722,849  
Net income
    
                                          10,529,848             10,529,848  
Cash dividends declared
                                               (5,000           (5,000
Grant of stock options
                                 109,184               (109,184            
Other comprehensive loss
                                        (4,207,115                  (4,207,115
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Balance, March 31, 2021
     28,031,234        5,649,240      $ 280,313      $ 56,492      $ 294,397,593      $ 6,923,497      $ 268,802,952     $ (41,226,357   $ 529,234,490  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
 
     Class A
Shares
     Class B
Shares
     Class A
Amount
     Class B
Amount
     Additional
Paid-In Capital
     Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
     Retained
Earnings
    Treasury
Stock
    Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
Balance, December 31, 2019
    26,203,935       5,649,240     $ 262,040     $ 56,492      $ 268,151,601      $ 504,170      $ 223,267,573      $ (41,226,357    $ 451,015,519  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Issuance of common stock (stock compensation plans)
    28,924             289              376,539                             376,828  
Share-based compensation
    67,087             671              1,242,315                             1,242,986  
Net income
                                           3,731,121               3,731,121  
Cash dividends declared
                                           (5,363             (5,363
Grant of stock options
                             118,525               (118,525              
Other comprehensive income
                                    3,199,840                      3,199,840  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Balance, March 31, 2020
    26,299,946       5,649,240     $ 263,000     $ 56,492      $ 269,888,980      $ 3,704,010      $ 226,874,806      $ (41,226,357    $ 459,560,931  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
3

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
   
2020
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
    
Net income
   $ 10,529,848     $ 3,731,121  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
    
Depreciation, amortization and other
non-cash
items
     1,654,449       1,737,307  
Net investment (gains) losses
     (2,469,054     10,694,843  
Changes in assets and liabilities:
                
Losses and loss expenses
     34,971,439       18,538,450  
Unearned premiums
     40,291,574       32,130,738  
Premiums receivable
     (12,012,018     (16,331,348
Deferred acquisition costs
     (5,373,755     (1,029,845
Deferred income taxes
     84,596       (2,001,451
Reinsurance receivable
     (17,430,975     (7,736,560
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
     (11,681,526     (21,146,913
Accrued investment income
     (1,009,425     (734,103
Due to affiliate
     (6,372,406     (2,879,960
Reinsurance balances payable
     581,043       477,950  
Current income taxes
     2,148,756       785,998  
Accrued expenses
     (5,552,527     (6,427,828
Other, net
     1,516,906       1,000,247  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net adjustments
     19,347,077       7,077,525  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
     29,876,925       10,808,646  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
    
Purchases of fixed maturities, held to maturity
     (33,904,795     (19,222,869
Purchases of fixed maturities, available for sale
     (16,747,351     (13,558,579
Purchases of equity securities, available for sale
     (13,885,992     (5,020,901
Maturity of fixed maturities:
                
Held to maturity
     7,317,449       9,287,575  
Available for sale
     69,586,285       29,078,287  
Sales of equity securities, available for sale
     6,300,459       3,202,672  
Net sales (purchases) of property and equipment
     684,629       (5,905
Net purchases of short-term investments
     (198,239     (58,688,855
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
     19,152,445       (54,928,575
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
    
Cash dividends paid
     (4,441,301     (4,080,597
Issuance of common stock
     4,709,242       1,163,331  
Borrowing under lines of credit
    
      50,000,000  
Payments on lines of credit
    
 
  (50,000,000
)
     
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
     (49,732,059     47,082,734  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Net (decrease) increase in cash
     (702,689     2,962,805  
Cash at beginning of period
     103,094,236       49,318,930  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Cash at end of period
   $ 102,391,547     $ 52,281,735  
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
Cash paid during period - Interest
   $ 257,821     $ 161,830  
Net cash paid during period - Taxes
   $     $
 
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
4

DONEGAL GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
(Unaudited)
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
 
1 -                Organization
Donegal Mutual Insurance Company (“Donegal Mutual”) organized us as an insurance holding company on August 26, 1986. Our insurance subsidiaries, Atlantic States Insurance Company (“Atlantic States”), Southern Insurance Company of Virginia (“Southern”), the Peninsula Insurance Group (“Peninsula”), which consists of Peninsula Indemnity Company and
The Peninsula Insurance Company,
and Michigan Insurance Company (“MICO”),
and our affiliates write personal and commercial lines of property and casualty coverages exclusively through independent insurance agents in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, New England, Southern and Southwestern states. 
We have three segments: our investment function, our commercial lines of insurance and our personal lines of insurance. The commercial lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation policies. The personal lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of homeowners and private passenger automobile policies.
At March 31, 2021, Donegal Mutual held
approximately 41% of our outstanding Class A common stock and approximately 84% of our outstanding Class B common stock. This ownership provides Donegal Mutual with approximately 70% of the total voting power of our common stock. Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual have interrelated operations due to a pooling agreement and other intercompany agreements and transactions. While each company maintains its separate corporate existence, our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual conduct business together as the Donegal Insurance Group. As such, Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries share the same business philosophy, the same management, the same employees and the same facilities and offer the same types of insurance products.
Atlantic States, our largest subsidiary, participates in a proportional reinsurance agreement, or pooling agreement, with Donegal Mutual. Under the pooling agreement, Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States contribute substantially all of their respective premiums, losses and loss expenses to the underwriting pool, and the underwriting pool, acting through Donegal Mutual, then allocates 80% of the pooled business to Atlantic States. Thus, Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States share the underwriting results of the pooled business in proportion to their respective participation in the underwriting pool.
In addition, Donegal Mutual has a 100% quota-share reinsurance agreement with Southern Mutual Insurance Company, or Southern Mutual. Donegal Mutual places its assumed business from Southern Mutual into the underwriting pool.
The same executive management and underwriting personnel administer products, classes of business underwritten, pricing practices and underwriting standards of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries. In addition, as the Donegal Insurance Group, Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries share a combined business plan to achieve market penetration and underwriting profitability objectives. The products our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual market are generally complementary, thereby allowing the Donegal Insurance Group to offer a broader range of products to a given market and to expand the Donegal Insurance Group’s ability to service an entire personal lines or commercial lines account. Distinctions within the products of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries generally relate to specific risk profiles targeted within similar classes of business, such as preferred tier versus standard tier products, but we do not allocate all of the standard risk gradients to one company. Therefore, the underwriting profitability of the business the individual companies write directly will vary. However, the underwriting pool homogenizes the risk characteristics of all business that Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States write directly. The business Atlantic States derives from the underwriting pool represents a significant percentage of our total consolidated revenues.
Donegal Mutual completed the merger of Mountain States Mutual Casualty Company, or Mountain States, with and into Donegal Mutual effective May 25, 2017. Donegal Mutual was the surviving company in the merger, and Mountain States’ insurance subsidiaries, Mountain States Indemnity Company and Mountain States Commercial Insurance Company (collectively, the “Mountain States insurance subsidiaries”), became insurance subsidiaries of Donegal Mutual upon completion
of the merger. Upon completion of the merger, Donegal Mutual assumed all of the policy obligations of Mountain States and began to market its products together with the Mountain States insurance subsidiaries as the Mountain States Insurance Group in four Southwestern states. Donegal Mutual also entered into a 100% quota-share reinsurance agreement with the Mountain States insurance subsidiaries on the merger date. Beginning with policies effective in 2021, Donegal Mutual began to place the business of the Mountain States Insurance Group into the underwriting pool. As a result, our consolidated financial results through December 31, 2020 excluded the results of the Mountain States Insurance Group operations in those Southwestern states.
 
 
5

2 -                Basis of Presentation
Our financial information for the interim periods included in this Form
10-Q
Report is unaudited; however, our financial information we include in this Form
10-Q
Report reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments that, in the opinion of our management, are necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for those interim periods. Our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations we expect for the year ending December 31, 2021.
We recommend you read the interim financial statements we include in this Form
10-Q
Report in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes to our financial statements contained in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2020.
 
3 -                Earnings Per Share
We have two classes of common stock, which we refer to as our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock. Our certificate of incorporation provides that whenever our board of directors declares a dividend on our Class B common stock, our board of directors shall simultaneously declare a dividend on our Class A common stock that is payable to the holders of our Class A common stock at the same time and as of the same record date at a rate that is at least 10% greater than the rate at which our board of directors declared a dividend on our Class B common stock. Accordingly, we use the
two-class
method to compute our earnings per common share. The
two-class
method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share separately for each class of common stock based on dividends we have declared and an allocation of our remaining undistributed earnings using a participation percentage that reflects the dividend rights of each class. The table below presents for the periods indicated a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators we used to compute basic and diluted net income per share for our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock:
 
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
     Class A      Class B      Class A      Class B  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands, except per share data)  
Basic earnings per share:
                                   
Numerator:
                                   
Allocation of net income
   $ 8,742      $ 1,788      $ 3,064      $ 667  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Denominator:
                                   
Weighted-average shares outstanding
     24,768        5,577        23,260        5,577  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Basic earnings per share
   $ 0.35      $ 0.32      $ 0.13      $ 0.12  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Diluted earnings per share:
                                   
Numerator:
                                   
Allocation of net income
   $ 8,742      $ 1,788      $ 3,064      $ 667  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Denominator:
                                   
Number of shares used in basic computation
     24,768        5,577        23,260        5,577  
Weighted-average shares effect of dilutive securities:
                                   
Director and employee stock options
     128        —          188        —    
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Number of shares used in diluted computation
     24,896        5,577        23,448        5,577  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Diluted earnings per share
   $ 0.35      $ 0.32      $ 0.13      $ 0.12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6

Table of Contents
We did not include outstanding options to purchase the following number of shares of Class A common stock in our computation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise price of the options exceeded the average market price of our Class A common stock during the applicable periods.
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
Number of options to purchase Class A shares excluded
     6,051,359        6,196,526  
 
4 -                Reinsurance
Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual have participated in a pooling agreement since 1986 under which they pool their direct premiums written, and Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual then share the underwriting results of the pool in accordance with the terms of the pooling agreement. Atlantic States has an 80% share of the results of the pool, and Donegal Mutual has a 20% share of the results of the pool.
 Donegal Mutual began placing the business of the Mountain States Insurance Group into the pool beginning with policies effective in 2021. 
Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual have a combined third-party reinsurance program. The coverage and parameters of the program are common to all of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual. Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual use several different reinsurers. They require their reinsurers to maintain an A.M. Best rating of
A-
(Excellent) or better or, with respect to foreign reinsurers, have a financial condition that, in the opinion of our management, is equivalent to a company with at least an
A-
rating from A.M. Best. The following information describes the external
reinsurance our insurance subsidiaries have in place for 2021:
 
   
excess of loss reinsurance, under which the losses of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries are automatically reinsured, through a series of contracts, over a set retention of $2.0 million; and
 
   
catastrophe reinsurance, under which Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries recover, through a series of reinsurance agreements, 100% of an accumulation of many losses resulting from a single event, including natural disasters, over a set retention of $15.0 million up to aggregate losses of $185.0 million per occurrence.
In addition to the pooling agreement and third-party reinsurance, our insurance subsidiaries have a catastrophe reinsurance agreement with Donegal Mutual, under which each of our insurance subsidiaries recovers 100% of an accumulation of multiple losses resulting from a single event, including natural disasters, over a set retention of $2.0 million up to aggregate losses of $13.0 million per occurrence. The agreement also provides additional coverage for an accumulation of losses from a single event including a combination of our insurance subsidiaries over a combined retention of $5.0 million.
Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual also purchase facultative reinsurance to cover certain exposures, including property exposures that exceeded the limits provided by their respective treaty reinsurance.
 
5 -                Investments
The amortized cost and estimated fair values of our fixed maturities at March 31, 2021 were as follows:
 
    
Amortized Cost
    
Gross Unrealized
Gains
    
Gross Unrealized
Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands)  
Held to Maturity
                                   
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and
 
agencies
   $ 79,016      $ 2,720      $ 1,329      $ 80,407  
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     332,642        16,797        3,200        346,239  
Corporate securities
     180,425        11,307        921        190,811  
Mortgage-backed securities
     21,402        1,037       
       22,439  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 613,485      $ 31,861      $ 5,450      $ 639,896  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
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Table of Contents
    
Amortized Cost
    
Gross Unrealized
Gains
    
Gross Unrealized
Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
     (in thousands)  
Available for Sale
                                   
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 19,512      $ 251      $ 610      $ 19,153  
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     67,283        1,829        260        68,852  
Corporate securities
     194,779        8,674        678        202,775  
Mortgage-backed securities
     201,606        5,900        631        206,875  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 483,180      $ 16,654      $ 2,179      $ 497,655  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
At March 31, 2021, our holdings of
obligations
of
states and political subdivisions included general obligation bonds with an aggregate fair value of $
262.6
 million and an amortized cost of $
252.9
 million. Our holdings at March 31, 2021 also included special revenue bonds with an aggregate fair value of $
152.5
 million and an amortized cost of $
147.0
 million. With respect to both categories of those bonds at March 31, 2021, we held no securities of any issuer that comprised more than 10% of our holdings of either bond category. Education bonds and water and sewer utility bonds represented
45
% and
35
%, respectively, of our total investments in special revenue bonds based on the carrying values of these investments at March 31, 2021. Many of the issuers of the special revenue bonds we held at March 31, 2021 have the authority to impose ad valorem taxes. In that respect, many of the special revenue bonds we held at March 31, 2021 are similar to general obligation bonds.
Th
e
 amortized cost and estimated fair values of our fixed maturities at December 31, 2020 were as follows:
 
    
Amortized Cost
    
Gross Unrealized
Gains
    
Gross Unrealized
Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
     (in thousands)  
Held to Maturity
                                   
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 77,435      $ 3,984      $ 223      $ 81,196  
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     312,319        23,212        143        335,388  
Corporate securities
     173,270        18,172        206        191,236  
Mortgage-backed securities
     23,585        1,236        —          24,821  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 586,609      $ 46,604      $ 572      $ 632,641  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
    
Amortized Cost
    
Gross Unrealized
Gains
    
Gross Unrealized
Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
     (in thousands)  
Available for Sale
                                   
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 47,512      $ 424      $ 121      $ 47,815  
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     66,287        2,690        12        68,965  
Corporate securities
     202,396        10,496        184        212,708  
Mortgage-backed securities
     218,763        6,902        17        225,648  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 534,958      $ 20,512      $ 334      $ 555,136  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
At December 31, 2020, our holdings of obligations of states and political subdivisions included general obligation bonds with an aggregate fair value of $263.6 million and an amortized cost of $247.5 million. Our holdings also included special revenue bonds with an aggregate fair value of $140.8 million and an amortized cost of $131.1 million. With respect to both categories of bonds, we held no securities of any issuer that comprised more than 10% of that category at December 31, 2020. Education bonds and water and sewer utility bonds represented 44% and 39%, respectively, of our total investments in special revenue bonds based on their carrying values at December 31, 2020. Many of the issuers of the special revenue bonds we held at December 31, 2020 have the authority to impose ad valorem taxes. In that respect, many of the special revenue bonds we held are similar to general obligation bonds.
 
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Table of Contents
We made reclassifications from available for sale to held to maturity of certain fixed maturities at fair value on November 30, 2013. We segregated within accumulated other comprehensive income the net unrealized losses of $
15.1
 million arising prior to the November 30, 2013 reclassifications. We are amortizing this balance over the remaining life of the related securities as an adjustment to yield in a manner consistent with the accretion of discount on the same fixed maturities. We recorded amortization of $
371,265
 and $260,368 in other
comprehensive (loss)
 
income during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, net unrealized losses of $
5.7
 million and $6.1 million, respectively, remained within accumulated other comprehensive income.
We show below the amortized cost and estimated fair value of our fixed maturities at March 31, 2021 by contractual maturity. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers of the securities may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.
 
    
Amortized Cost
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
     (in thousands)  
Held to maturity
                 
Due in one year or less
   $ 50,512      $ 52,261  
Due after one year through five years
     84,179        89,856  
Due after five years through ten years
     205,132        214,111  
Due after ten years
     252,260        261,229  
Mortgage-backed securities
     21,402        22,439  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total held to maturity
   $ 613,485      $ 639,896  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Available for sale
                 
Due in one year or less
   $ 34,002      $ 34,683  
Due after one year through five years
     122,623        128,868  
Due after five years through ten years
     97,120        99,047  
Due after ten years
     27,829        28,182  
Mortgage-backed securities
     201,606        206,875  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total available for sale
   $ 483,180      $ 497,655  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
The cost and estimated fair values of our equity securities at March 31, 2021 were as follows:
 
    
Cost
    
Gross Gains
    
Gross Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands)  
Equity securities
   $ 50,216      $ 18,959      $ 535      $ 68,640  
The cost and estimated fair values of our equity securities at December 31, 2020 were as follows:
 
 
    
Cost
    
Gross Gains
    
Gross Losses
    
Estimated Fair
Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands)  
Equity securities
   $ 42,410      $ 17,103      $ 957      $ 58,556  
 
9
Gross investment gains and losses before applicable income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows:
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands)  
Gross investment gains:
                 
Fixed maturities
   $ 193      $ 423  
Equity securities
     3,277        431  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
       3,470        854  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Gross investment losses:
                 
Fixed maturities
     222        1  
Equity securities
     779        11,548  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
       1,001                11,549  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net investment gains (losses)
   $         2,469      $ (10,695
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
We recognized $
3.2
 million of gains and $
778,449
 
of losses on equity securities we held at March 31, 2021 in net investment
gains 
for the three months ended March 31, 2021. We recognized $430,676 of gains and $8.5 million of losses on equity securities we held at March 31, 2020 in net investment
losses 
for the three months ended March 31, 2020. 
We held fixed maturities with unrealized losses representing declines that we considered temporary at March 31, 2021 as follows:
 
    
Less Than 12 Months
    
More Than 12 Months
 
    
Fair Value
    
Unrealized Losses
    
Fair Value
    
Unrealized Losses
 
     (in thousands)  
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 33,349      $ 1,939      $
 
—  
     $
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     88,703        3,255       
2,094
      
205
 
Corporate securities
     46,939        1,403        8,289        196  
Mortgage-backed securities
     21,509        626        520        5  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 190,500      $ 7,223      $ 10,903      $ 406  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
We held fixed maturities with unrealized losses representing declines that we considered temporary at December 31, 2020 as follows:
 
    
Less Than 12 Months
    
More Than 12 Months
 
    
Fair Value
    
Unrealized Losses
    
Fair Value
    
Unrealized Losses
 
     (in thousands)  
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
  
$
29,144
 
  
$
345
 
  
$
 
  
$
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     9,362        154                
Corporate securities
     26,143        115        8,230        276  
Mortgage-backed securities
     3,091        15        236        1  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 67,740      $ 629      $ 8,466      $ 277  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
We make estimates concerning the valuation of our investments and the recognition of other-than-temporary declines in the value of our investments. For equity securities, we measure investments at fair value, and we recognize changes in fair value in our results of operations. With respect to a debt security that is in an unrealized loss position, we first assess if we intend to sell the debt security. If we determine we intend to sell the debt security, we recognize the impairment loss in our results of operations. If we do not intend to sell the debt security, we determine whether it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the debt security prior to recovery. If we determine it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the debt security prior to recovery, we recognize the impairment loss in our results of operations. If we determine it is more likely than
 
10

Table of Contents
not that we will not be required to sell the debt security prior to recovery, we then evaluate whether a credit loss has occurred with respect to that security. We determine whether a credit loss has occurred by comparing the amortized cost of the debt security to the present value of the cash flows we expect to collect. If we expect a cash flow shortfall, we consider that a credit loss has occurred. If we determine that a credit loss has occurred, we consider the impairment to be other than temporary. We then recognize the amount of the impairment loss related to the credit loss in our results of operations, and we recognize the remaining portion of the impairment loss in our other comprehensive income, net of applicable taxes. In addition, we may write down securities in an unrealized loss position based on a number of other factors, including when the fair value of an investment is significantly below its cost, when the financial condition of the issuer of a security has deteriorated, the occurrence of industry, issuer or geographic events that have negatively impacted the value of a security and rating agency downgrades. We held
126
debt securities that were in an unrealized loss position at March 31, 2021. Based upon our analysis of general market conditions and underlying factors impacting these debt securities, we considered these declines in value to be temporary.
We amortize premiums and discounts on debt securities over the life of the security as an adjustment to yield using the effective interest method. We compute realized investment gains and losses using the specific identification method.
We amortize premiums and discounts on mortgage-backed debt securities using anticipated prepayments.
 
6 -
Segment Information
We evaluate the performance of our personal lines and commercial lines segments based upon the underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries using statutory accounting principles (“SAP”) that various state insurance departments prescribe or permit. Our management uses SAP to measure the performance of our insurance subsidiaries instead of United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). SAP financial measures are considered
non-GAAP
financial measures under applicable SEC rules because they include or exclude certain items that the most comparable GAAP financial measures do not ordinarily include or exclude.
Financial data by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:
 
    
    Three Months Ended March 31,    
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
     (in thousands)  
Revenues:
           
Premiums earned:
           
Commercial lines
   $ 109,226      $ 101,775  
Personal lines
     78,026        85,478  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
GAAP premiums earned
     187,252        187,253  
Net investment income
     7,511        7,376  
Investment gains (losses)
     2,469        (10,695
Other
     738        977  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total revenues
   $ 197,970      $ 184,911  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Income before income tax expense (benefit):
           
Underwriting (loss) income:
           
Commercial lines
   $ (8,242    $ (566
Personal lines
     5,037        4,811  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
SAP underwriting (loss) income
     (3,205      4,245  
GAAP adjustments
     5,982        1,385  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
GAAP underwriting income
     2,777        5,630  
Net investment income
     7,511        7,376  
Investment gains (losses)
     2,469        (10,695
Other
     (6      192  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Income before income tax expense (benefit)
   $ 12,751      $ 2,503  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
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Table of Contents
7 -
Borrowings
Lines of Credit
In August 2020, we entered into a credit agreement with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (“M&T”) that related to a $20.0 million unsecured demand line of credit. The line of credit has no expiration date, no annual fees and no covenants. At March 31, 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings from M&T and had the ability to borrow up to $20.0 million at interest rates equal to the then-current LIBOR rate plus 2.00%.
Atlantic States is a member of the FHLB of Pittsburgh. Through its membership, Atlantic States has the ability to issue debt to the FHLB of Pittsburgh in exchange for cash advances. Atlantic States has a fixed-rate cash advance of
$35.0 million that was outstanding at March 31, 2021. The cash advance carries a fixed interest rate of 1.74% and is due in August 2024. I
n March 2020, Atlantic States issued $50.0 
million of debt to the FHLB of Pittsburgh in exchange for a cash advance in the same amount that carried 
a fixed interest rate of 0.83%
.
 
Atlantic States obtained this contingent liquidity funding in light of uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Atlantic States repaid this advance when it became due in March 2021. The table below presents the amount of FHLB of Pittsburgh stock Atlantic States purchased, collateral pledged and assets related to Atlantic States’ membership in the FHLB of Pittsburgh at March 31, 2021. 
 
 
 
FHLB of Pittsburgh stock purchased and owned
   $ 1,690,100  
     
   
Collateral pledged, at par (carrying value $49,326,964)
     48,385,986  
     
   
Borrowing capacity currently available
     12,714,454  
Subordinated Debentures
Donegal Mutual holds a $5.0 million
s
urplus note that MICO issued to increase MICO’s statutory surplus. The surplus note carries an interest rate of 5.00%, and any repayment of principal or payment of interest on the surplus note requires prior approval of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
 
8 -
Share–Based Compensation
We measure all share-based payments to employees, including grants of stock options, and use a fair-value-based method for the recording of related compensation expense in our results of operations. In determining the expense we record for stock options granted to directors and employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates, we estimate the fair value of each option award on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The significant assumptions we utilize in applying the Black-Scholes option pricing model are the risk-free interest rate, the expected term, the dividend yield and the expected volatility.
We charged compensation expense related to our stock compensation plans against income before income taxes of $
292,795
and $330,304 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, with a corresponding income tax benefit of $
61,487
and $69,364, respectively. At March 31, 2021, we had $
1.4
 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested share-based compensation granted under our stock compensation plans that we expect to recognize over a weighted average period of approximately
1.7
 
years
.
We received cash from option exercises under all stock compensation plans during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 of $
4.4
 million and $912,388, respectively. We realized actual tax benefits for the tax deductions related to those option exercises of $
149,156
and $14,657 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
 
9 -
Fair Value Measurements
We account for financial assets using a framework that establishes a hierarchy that ranks the quality and reliability of the inputs, or assumptions, we use in the determination of fair value, and we classify financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value in one of the following three categories:
Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities;
Level 2 – directly or indirectly observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices; and
 
12

Table of Contents
 
Level 3 – unobservable inputs not corroborated by market data.
For investments that have quoted market prices in active markets, we use the quoted market price as fair value and include these investments in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. We classify publicly-traded equity securities as Level 1. When quoted market prices in active markets are not available, we base fair values on quoted market prices of comparable instruments or price estimates we obtain from independent pricing services and include these investments in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. We classify our fixed maturity investments as Level 2. Our fixed maturity investments consist of U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies, obligations of states and political subdivisions, corporate securities and mortgage-backed securities.
We present our investments in
available-for-sale
fixed maturity and equity securities at estimated fair value. The estimated fair value of a security may differ from the amount that could be realized if we sold the security in a forced transaction. In addition, the valuation of fixed maturity investments is more subjective when markets are less liquid, increasing the potential that the estimated fair value does not reflect the price at which an actual transaction would occur. We utilize nationally recognized independent pricing services to estimate fair values or obtain market quotations for substantially all of our fixed maturity and equity investments. These pricing services utilize market quotations for fixed maturity and equity securities that have quoted prices in active markets. For fixed maturity securities that generally do not trade on a daily basis, the pricing services prepare estimates of fair value measurements based predominantly on observable market inputs. The pricing services do not use broker quotes in determining the fair values of our investments. Our investment personnel review the estimates of fair value the pricing services provide to verify that the estimates we obtain from the pricing services are representative of fair values based upon our investment personnel’s general knowledge of the market, their research findings related to unusual fluctuations in value and their comparison of such values to execution prices for similar securities. Our investment personnel regularly monitor the market, current trading ranges for similar securities and the pricing of specific investments. Our investment personnel review all pricing estimates that we receive from the pricing services against their expectations with respect to pricing based on fair market curves, security ratings, interest rates, security types and recent trading activity. Our investment personnel periodically review documentation with respect to the pricing services’ pricing methodology that they obtain to determine if the primary pricing sources, market inputs and pricing frequency for various security types are reasonable. At March 31, 2021, we received two estimates per security from the pricing services, and we priced substantially all of our Level 1 and Level 2 investments using those prices. In our review of the estimates the pricing services provided at March 31, 2021, we did not identify any material discrepancies, and we did not make any adjustments to the estimates the pricing services provided.
We present our cash and short-term investments at estimated fair value. We classify these items as Level 1.
The carrying values we report in our balance sheet for premium receivables and reinsurance receivables and payables for premiums and paid losses and loss expenses approximate their fair values. The carrying amounts we report in our balance sheets for our subordinated debentures and borrowings under lines of credit approximate their fair values. We classify these items as Level 3.
We evaluate our assets and liabilities to determine the appropriate level at which to classify them for each reporting period.
 
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Table of Contents
 
The following table presents our fair value measurements for our investments in
available-for-sale
fixed maturity and equity securities at March 31, 2021:
 
    
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
    
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets (Level 1)
    
Significant Other
Observable
Inputs (Level 2)
    
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs (Level 3)
 
     (in thousands)  
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 19,153      $      $ 19,153      $  —  
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     68,852               68,852         
Corporate securities
     202,775               202,775         
Mortgage-backed securities
     206,875               206,875         
Equity securities
     68,640        66,236        2,404         
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy
   $ 566,295      $ 66,236      $ 500,059      $  —  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
The following table presents our fair value measurements for our investments in
available-for-sale
fixed maturity and equity securities at December 31, 2020:
 
 
    
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
    
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets (Level 1)
    
Significant Other
Observable
Inputs (Level 2)
    
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs (Level 3)
 
     (in thousands)  
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government corporations and agencies
   $ 47,815      $ —        $ 47,815      $  —    
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
     68,965        —          68,965        —    
Corporate securities
     212,708        —          212,708        —    
Mortgage-backed securities
     225,648        —          225,648        —    
Equity securities
     58,556        54,152        4,404        —    
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Totals
   $ 613,692      $ 54,152      $ 559,540      $ —    
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
10 -         Income Taxes
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Security Act (the “CARES Act”)
w
as signed into law. The CARES Act amended net operating loss provisions in effect prior to its enactment. The CARES Act allows for the carryback of losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2021 to each of the five taxable years preceding the taxable year of such loss. As a result, we filed amended tax returns to carry back net operating losses from taxable year 2018 to past tax years. We recorded a tax benefit of $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2020 in anticipation of a refund of taxes we paid in prior years as a result of the carryback.
At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, we had no material unrecognized tax benefits or accrued interest and penalties. Tax years 2016 through 2020 remained open for examination at March 31, 2021. We provide a valuation allowance when we believe it is more likely than not that we will not realize some portion of our tax assets. We established a valuation allowance of $7.9 million for our net state operating loss carryforward. We have determined that we are not required to establish a valuation allowance for our other deferred tax assets of $
26.9
 million and $26.7 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, because it is more likely than not that we will realize these deferred tax assets through reversals of existing temporary differences, future taxable income and the implementation of tax planning strategies.
11 -         Liabilities for Losses and Loss Expenses
The establishment of appropriate liabilities for losses and loss expenses is an inherently uncertain process, and we can provide no assurance that our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liabilities for losses and loss expenses will not exceed their loss and loss expense reserves and have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, we cannot predict the timing, frequency and extent of adjustments to our insurance subsidiaries’ estimated future liabilities, because the historical conditions and events that serve as a basis for our insurance subsidiaries’ estimates of ultimate claim costs
 
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may change. As is the case for substantially all property and casualty insurance companies, our insurance subsidiaries have found it necessary in the past to increase their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses in certain periods, and, in other periods, their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses have exceeded their actual liabilities for losses and loss expenses. Changes in our insurance subsidiaries’ estimate of their liabilities for losses and loss expenses generally reflect actual payments and their evaluation of information received subsequent to the prior reporting period.
We summarize activity in our insurance subsidiaries’ liabilities for losses and loss expenses as follows:
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     (in thousands)  
Balance at January 1
   $ 962,007      $ 869,674  
Less reinsurance recoverable
     (404,818      (362,768
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net balance at January 1
     557,189        506,906  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Incurred related to:
                 
Current year
     127,433        121,551  
Prior years
     (8,213      (4,304
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total incurred
     119,220        117,247  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Paid related to:
                 
Current year
     35,584        39,689  
Prior years
     65,192        68,050  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total paid
     100,776        107,739  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net balance at end of period
     575,633        516,414  
Plus reinsurance recoverable
     421,346        371,798  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Balance at end of period
   $ 996,979      $ 888,212  
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Our insurance subsidiaries recognized a decrease in their liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years of 
$
8.2
 million
and $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Our insurance subsidiaries made no significant changes in their reserving philosophy or claims management personnel, and they have made no significant offsetting changes in estimates that increased or decreased their loss and loss expense reserves in those years. The 2021 development represented
1.5
%
of the December 31, 2020 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence or severity in nearly all lines of business. The majority of the 2021 development related to decreases in the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years for MICO and Atlantic States. The 2020 development represented 
 
0.8%
of the December 31, 2019 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected severity in nearly all lines of business, with the exception of modest higher-than-expected severity in homeowners and commercial automobile. The majority of the 2020 development related to decreases in the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States. 
Short-duration contracts are contracts for which our insurance subsidiaries receive premiums that they recognize as revenue over the period of the contract in proportion to the amount of insurance protection our insurance subsidiaries provide. Our insurance subsidiaries consider the policies they issue to be short-duration contracts. We consider the material lines of business of our insurance subsidiaries to be personal automobile, homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation.
Our insurance subsidiaries determine incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves by subtracting the cumulative loss and loss expense amounts our insurance subsidiaries have paid and the case reserves our insurance subsidiaries have established at the balance sheet date from their actuaries’ estimate of the ultimate cost of losses and loss expenses. Accordingly, the IBNR reserves of our insurance subsidiaries include their actuaries’ projections of the cost of unreported claims as well as their actuaries’ projected development of case reserves on known claims and reopened claims. Our insurance subsidiaries’ methodology for estimating IBNR reserves has been in place for many years, and their actuaries made no significant changes to that methodology during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
The actuaries for our insurance subsidiaries generally prepare an initial estimate for ultimate losses and loss expenses for the current accident year by multiplying earned premium by an expected loss ratio for each line of business our insurance
 
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subsidiaries write. Expected loss ratios represent the actuaries’ expectation of losses at the time our insurance subsidiaries price and write their policies and before the emergence of any actual claims experience. The actuaries determine an expected loss ratio by analyzing historical experience and adjusting for loss cost trends, loss frequency and severity trends, premium rate level changes, reported and paid loss emergence patterns and other known or observed factors.
The actuaries use a variety of actuarial methods to estimate the ultimate cost of losses and loss expenses. These methods include paid loss development, incurred loss development and the Bornhuetter-Ferguson method. The actuaries base their selection of a point estimate on a judgmental weighting of the estimates each of these methods produce.
 
The actuaries consider loss frequency and severity trends when they develop expected loss ratios and point estimates. Loss frequency is a measure of the number of claims per unit of insured exposure, and loss severity is a measure of the average size of claims. Factors that affect loss frequency include changes in weather patterns and economic activity. Factors that affect loss severity include changes in policy limits, reinsurance retentions, inflation rates and judicial interpretations.
Our insurance subsidiaries create a claim file when they receive notice of an actual demand for payment, an event that may lead to a demand for payment or when they otherwise determine that a demand for payment could potentially lead to a future demand for payment on another coverage under the same policy or another policy they have issued. In recent years, our insurance subsidiaries have noted an increase in the period of time between the occurrence of a casualty loss event and the date at which they receive notice of a liability claim. Changes in the length of time between the loss occurrence date and the claim reporting date affect the actuaries’ ability to predict loss frequency accurately and the amount of IBNR reserves our insurance subsidiaries require.
Our insurance subsidiaries generally create a claim file for a policy at the claimant level by type of coverage and generally recognize one count for each claim event. In certain lines of business where it is common for multiple parties to claim damages arising from a single claim event, our insurance subsidiaries recognize one count for each claimant involved in the event. Atlantic States recognizes one count for each claim event, or claimant involved in a multiple-party claim event, related to losses Atlantic States assumes through its participation in its pooling agreement with Donegal Mutual. Our insurance subsidiaries accumulate the claim counts and report them by line of business.
12 -         Impact of New Accounting Standards
In September 2016, the FASB issued guidance that amends previous guidance on the impairment of financial instruments by adding an impairment model that requires an entity to recognize expected credit losses as an allowance rather than impairments as credit losses are incurred. The intent of this guidance is to reduce complexity and result in a more timely recognition of expected credit losses. In November 2019, the FASB issued guidance that delays the effective date for “smaller reporting companies,” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of
Regulation S-K, to
annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2022 from December 15, 2019. We are a smaller reporting company and are in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
In December 2019, the FASB issued guidance that simplifies accounting for income taxes. The guidance eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intra-period tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The guidance is effective January 1, 2021, using the retrospective method or modified retrospective method for certain changes and the prospective method for all other changes, and permits early adoption. Our adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2021 did not have a significant impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
We recommend that you read the following information in conjunction with the historical financial information and the footnotes to that financial information we include in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q.
We also recommend you read Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2020.
 
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We combine our financial statements with those of our insurance subsidiaries and present our financial statements on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Our insurance subsidiaries make estimates and assumptions that can have a significant effect on amounts and disclosures we report in our financial statements. The most significant estimates relate to the liabilities of our insurance subsidiaries for property and casualty insurance losses and loss expenses. While we believe our estimates and the estimates of our insurance subsidiaries are appropriate, the ultimate amounts of these liabilities may differ from the estimates we provided. We regularly review our methods for making these estimates and we reflect any adjustment we consider necessary in our current consolidated results of operations.
Liabilities for Losses and Loss Expenses
Liabilities for losses and loss expenses are estimates at a given point in time of the amounts an insurer expects to pay with respect to incurred policyholder claims based on facts and circumstances the insurer knows at that point in time. For example, legislative, judicial and regulatory actions may expand coverage definitions, retroactively mandate coverage or otherwise require our insurance subsidiaries to pay losses for damages that their policies explicitly excluded or did not intend to cover. At the time of establishing its estimates, an insurer recognizes that its ultimate liabilities for losses and loss expenses will exceed or be less than such estimates. Our insurance subsidiaries base their estimates of liabilities for losses and loss expenses on assumptions as to future loss trends, expected claims severity, judicial theories of liability and other factors. However, during the loss adjustment period, our insurance subsidiaries may learn additional facts regarding individual claims, and, consequently, it often becomes necessary for our insurance subsidiaries to refine and adjust their estimates for these liabilities. We reflect any adjustments to the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of our insurance subsidiaries in our consolidated results of operations in the period in which our insurance subsidiaries make adjustments to their estimates.
Our insurance subsidiaries maintain liabilities for the payment of losses and loss expenses with respect to both reported and unreported claims. Our insurance subsidiaries establish these liabilities for the purpose of covering the ultimate costs of settling all losses, including investigation and litigation costs. Our insurance subsidiaries base the amount of their liability for reported losses primarily upon a
case-by-case
evaluation of the type of risk involved, knowledge of the circumstances surrounding each claim and the insurance policy provisions relating to the type of loss the policyholder incurred. Our insurance subsidiaries determine the amount of their liability for unreported claims and loss expenses on the basis of historical information by line of insurance. Our insurance subsidiaries account for inflation in the reserving function through analysis of costs and trends and reviews of historical reserving results. Our insurance subsidiaries monitor their liabilities closely and recompute them periodically using new information on reported claims and a variety of statistical techniques. Our insurance subsidiaries do not discount their liabilities for losses and loss expenses.
Reserve estimates can change over time because of unexpected changes in assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment and, to a lesser extent, assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ internal operations. For example, our insurance subsidiaries have experienced an increase in claims severity and a lengthening of the claim settlement periods on bodily injury claims during the past several years. In addition, the
COVID-19
pandemic and related government mandates and restrictions resulted in various changes from historical claims reporting and settlement trends during 2020. These trend changes give rise to greater uncertainty as to the pattern of future loss settlements on bodily injury claims. Related uncertainties regarding future trends include social inflation, the rate of plaintiff attorney involvement in claims and the cost of medical technologies and procedures. Assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment include the absence of significant changes in tort law and the legal environment that increase liability exposure, consistency in judicial interpretations of insurance coverage and policy provisions and the rate of loss cost inflation. Internal assumptions include consistency in the recording of premium and loss statistics, consistency in the recording of claims, payment and case reserving methodology, accurate measurement of the impact of rate changes and changes in policy provisions, consistency in the quality and characteristics of business written within a given line of business and consistency in reinsurance coverage and collectability of reinsured losses, among other items. To the extent our insurance subsidiaries determine that underlying factors impacting their assumptions have changed, our insurance subsidiaries make adjustments in their reserves that they consider appropriate for such changes. Accordingly, our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liabilities for losses and loss expenses will likely differ from the amount recorded at March 31, 2021. For every 1% change in our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves, net of reinsurance recoverable, the effect on our
pre-tax
results of operations would be approximately $5.8 million.
The establishment of appropriate liabilities is an inherently uncertain process and we can provide no assurance that our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liability will not exceed our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and have an
 
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adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, we cannot predict the timing, frequency and extent of adjustments to our insurance subsidiaries’ estimated future liabilities, because the historical conditions and events that serve as a basis for our insurance subsidiaries’ estimates of ultimate claim costs may change. As is the case for substantially all property and casualty insurance companies, our insurance subsidiaries have found it necessary in the past to increase their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses in certain periods and, in other periods, their estimated future liabilities for losses and loss expenses have exceeded their actual liabilities for losses and loss expenses. Changes in our insurance subsidiaries’ estimates of their liabilities for losses and loss expenses generally reflect actual payments and their evaluation of information received subsequent to the prior reporting period.
Excluding the impact of severe weather events and the
COVID-19
pandemic, our insurance subsidiaries have noted stable amounts in the number of claims incurred and the number of claims outstanding at period ends relative to their premium base in recent years across most of their lines of business. However, the amount of the average claim outstanding has increased gradually over the past several years due to various factors such as rising medical loss costs and increased litigation trends. We have also experienced a general slowing of settlement rates in litigated claims. Our insurance subsidiaries could have to make further adjustments to their estimates in the future. However, on the basis of our insurance subsidiaries’ internal procedures, which analyze, among other things, their prior assumptions, their experience with similar cases and historical trends such as reserving patterns, loss payments, pending levels of unpaid claims and product mix, as well as court decisions, economic conditions and public attitudes, we believe that our insurance subsidiaries have made adequate provision for their liabilities for losses and loss expenses.
Atlantic States’ participation in the pool with Donegal Mutual exposes Atlantic States to adverse loss development on the business of Donegal Mutual that the pool includes. However, pooled business represents the predominant percentage of the net underwriting activity of both companies, and Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States share proportionately any adverse risk development relating to the pooled business. The business in the pool is homogeneous and each company has a
pro-rata
share of the entire pool. Since the predominant percentage of the business of Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual is pooled and the results shared by each company according to its participation level under the terms of the pooling agreement, the intent of the underwriting pool is to produce a more uniform and stable underwriting result from year to year for each company than either would experience individually and to spread the risk of loss between the companies.
Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries operate together as the Donegal Insurance Group and share a combined business plan designed to achieve market penetration and underwriting profitability objectives. The products our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual offer are generally complementary, thereby allowing Donegal Insurance Group to offer a broader range of products to a given market and to expand Donegal Insurance Group’s ability to service an entire personal lines or commercial lines account. Distinctions within the products of Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries generally relate to specific risk profiles targeted within similar classes of business, such as preferred tier products compared to standard tier products, but we do not allocate all of the standard risk gradients to one company. Therefore, the underwriting profitability of the business the individual companies write directly will vary. However, because the pool homogenizes the risk characteristics of the predominant percentage of the business Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States write directly and each company shares the underwriting results according to each company’s participation percentage, each company realizes its percentage share of the underwriting results of the pool.
 
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Our insurance subsidiaries’ liabilities for losses and loss expenses by major line of business at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 consisted of the following:
 
    
March 31,
2021
    
December 31,
2020
 
     (in thousands)  
Commercial lines:
     
Automobile
   $ 153,747    $ 151,813
Workers’ compensation
     120,963      118,037
Commercial multi-peril
     137,868      126,299
Other
     13,850      13,212
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total commercial lines
     426,428      409,361
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Personal lines:
     
Automobile
     120,386      120,861
Homeowners
     22,399      20,976
Other
     6,420      5,991
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total personal lines
     149,205      147,828
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total commercial and personal lines
     575,633      557,189
Plus reinsurance recoverable
     421,346      404,818
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total liabilities for losses and loss expenses
   $     996,979    $     962,007
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
We have evaluated the effect on our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and our stockholders’ equity in the event of reasonably likely changes in the variables we consider in establishing the loss and loss expense reserves of our insurance subsidiaries. We established the range of reasonably likely changes based on a review of changes in accident-year development by line of business and applied those changes to our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves as a whole. The range we selected does not necessarily indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or the most likely scenario. The following table sets forth the estimated effect on our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and our stockholders’ equity in the event of reasonably likely changes in the variables we considered in establishing the loss and loss expense reserves of our insurance subsidiaries:
 
Percentage Change in Loss
and Loss Expense Reserves
Net of Reinsurance
  
Adjusted Loss and Loss
Expense Reserves Net of
Reinsurance at
March 31, 2021
  
Percentage Change
in Stockholders’ Equity at
March 31, 2021(1)
  
Adjusted Loss and Loss
Expense Reserves Net of
Reinsurance at
December 31, 2020
  
Percentage Change
in Stockholders’ Equity at
December 31, 2020(1)
(dollars in thousands)
(10.0)%    $518,070    8.6%    $501,470    8.5%
(7.5)    532,461    6.4    515,400    6.4
(5.0)    546,851    4.3    529,330    4.3
(2.5)    561,242    2.1    543,259    2.1
Base    575,633       557,189   
2.5    590,024    (2.1)    571,119    (2.1)
5.0    604,415    (4.3)    585,048    (4.3)
7.5    618,805    (6.4)    598,978    (6.4)
10.0    633,196    (8.6)    612,908    (8.5)
 
 
(1)
Net of income tax effect.
Non-GAAP
Information
We prepare our consolidated financial statements on the basis of GAAP. Our insurance subsidiaries also prepare financial statements based on statutory accounting principles state insurance regulators prescribe or permit (“SAP”). SAP financial measures are considered
non-GAAP
financial measures under applicable SEC rules because the SAP financial measures include or
 
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exclude certain items that the most comparable GAAP financial measures do not ordinarily include or exclude. Our calculation of
non-GAAP
financial measures may differ from similar measures other companies use, so investors should exercise caution when comparing our
non-GAAP
financial measures to the
non-GAAP
financial measures other companies use.
Because our insurance subsidiaries do not prepare GAAP financial statements, we evaluate the performance of our personal lines and commercial lines segments utilizing SAP financial measures that reflect the growth trends and underwriting results of our insurance subsidiaries. The SAP financial measures we utilize are net premiums written and statutory combined ratio.
Net Premiums Written
We define net premiums written as the amount of full-term premiums our insurance subsidiaries record for policies effective within a given period less premiums our insurance subsidiaries cede to reinsurers. Net premiums earned is the most comparable GAAP financial measure to net premiums written. Net premiums earned represent the sum of the amount of net premiums written and the change in net unearned premiums during a given period. Our insurance subsidiaries earn premiums and recognize them as revenue over the terms of their policies, which are one year or less in duration. Therefore, increases or decreases in net premiums earned generally reflect increases or decreases in net premiums written in the preceding
12-month
period compared to the comparable period one year earlier.
The following table provides a reconciliation of our net premiums earned to our net premiums written for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
     (in thousands)  
Net premiums earned
   $ 187,252      $ 187,253  
Change in net unearned premiums
     28,610      10,984
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net premiums written
   $ 215,862      $ 198,237  
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Statutory Combined Ratio
The combined ratio is a standard measurement of underwriting profitability for an insurance company. The combined ratio does not reflect investment income, net investment gains or losses, federal income taxes or other
non-operating
income or expense. A combined ratio of less than 100% generally indicates underwriting profitability.
The statutory combined ratio is a
non-GAAP
financial measure that is based upon amounts determined under SAP. We calculate our statutory combined ratio as the sum of:
 
   
the statutory loss ratio, which is the ratio of calendar-year net incurred losses and loss expenses to net premiums earned;
   
the statutory expense ratio, which is the ratio of expenses incurred for net commissions, premium taxes and underwriting expenses to net premiums written; and
   
the statutory dividend ratio, which is the ratio of dividends to holders of workers’ compensation policies to net premiums earned.
The calculation of our statutory combined ratio differs from the calculation of our GAAP combined ratio. In calculating our GAAP combined ratio, we do not deduct installment payment fees from incurred expenses, and we base the expense ratio on net premiums earned instead of net premiums written. Differences between our GAAP loss ratio and our statutory loss ratio result from anticipating salvage and subrogation recoveries for our GAAP loss ratio but not for our statutory loss ratio.
 
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Combined Ratios
The following table presents comparative details with respect to our GAAP and statutory combined ratios for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
 
    
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
    
2021
    
2020
 
GAAP Combined Ratios (Total Lines)
     
Loss ratio
(non-weather)
     60.0%        58.9%  
Loss ratio (weather-related)
     3.7      3.7
Expense ratio
     34.1      33.4
Dividend ratio
     0.7      1.0
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Combined ratio
     98.5%        97.0%  
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
Statutory Combined Ratios
     
Commercial lines:
     
Automobile
     102.3%        117.4%  
Workers’ compensation
     95.4      90.1
Commercial multi-peril
     107.7      89.1
Other
     60.1      64.2
Total commercial lines
     99.3      96.0
Personal lines:
     
Automobile
     93.4      100.0
Homeowners
     94.7      90.7
Other
     76.9      66.5
Total personal lines
     92.6      94.7
Total commercial and personal lines
     96.5      95.4
 
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Results of Operations - Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Net Premiums Earned.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned for the first three months of 2021 were $187.3 million, virtually unchanged from the first three months of 2020.
Net Premiums Written.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums written for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were $215.9 million, an increase of $17.6 million, or 8.9%, from the $198.2 million of net premiums written for the first three months of 2020. Commercial lines net premiums written increased $22.7 million, or 18.7%, for the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020. We attribute the increase in commercial lines net premiums written primarily to the inclusion of the business of the Mountain States Insurance Group in the pool beginning with policies effective in 2021.. Personal lines net premiums written decreased $5.1 million, or 6.7%, for the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020. We attribute the decrease in personal lines net premiums written primarily to net attrition as a result of measures our insurance subsidiaries have implemented to improve underwriting profitability, partially offset by the impact of premium rate increases our insurance subsidiaries have implemented.
Investment Income.
Our net investment income was $7.5 million for the first three months of 2021, compared to $7.4 for the first three months of 2020. We attribute the increase primarily to an increase in average invested assets.
Net Investment Gains (Losses).
Net investment gains for the first three months of 2021 were $2.5 million, compared to net investment losses of $10.7 million for the first three months of 2020. The net investment gains for the first three months of 2021 resulted primarily from unrealized gains within our equity securities portfolio at March 31, 2021. The net investment losses for the first three months of 2020 resulted primarily from unrealized losses within our equity securities portfolio due to a sharp decline in equity markets at March 31, 2020. We did not recognize any impairment losses in our investment portfolio during the first three months of 2021 or 2020.
Losses and Loss Expenses.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 63.7% for the first three months of 2021, an increase from our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio of 62.6% for the first three months of 2020. We attribute this increase primarily to elevated fire losses that primarily impacted the loss ratio for our commercial multi-peril line of business. Weather-related losses of $6.8 million for the first three months of 2021, were comparable to $6.9 million for the first three months of 2020, or 3.7 percentage points of the loss ratio for both quarterly periods. Weather-related loss activity for the first three months of 2021 was lower than our previous five-year average of $10.3 million for first quarter weather-related losses. On a statutory basis, our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio was 66.3% for the first three months of 2021, compared to 62.7% for the first three months of 2020, primarily due to an increase in the commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation loss ratios. The personal lines statutory loss ratio of our insurance subsidiaries decreased to 61.0% for the first three months of 2021, compared to 63.2% for the first three months of 2020. We attribute this decrease primarily to a decrease in the personal automobile loss ratio. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable loss reserve development of approximately $8.2 million and $4.3 million during the first three months of 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Underwriting Expenses.
The expense ratio for an insurance company is the ratio of policy acquisition costs and other underwriting expenses to premiums earned. The expense ratio of our insurance subsidiaries was 34.1% for the first three months of 2021, compared to 33.4% for the first three months of 2020. The increase in the expense ratio primarily reflected higher agency growth incentive costs for our agents and increased underwriting-based incentive costs for our agents and employees during the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020.
Combined Ratio.
The combined ratio represents the sum of the loss ratio, the expense ratio and the dividend ratio, which is the ratio of policyholder dividends incurred to premiums earned. Our insurance subsidiaries’ combined ratios were 98.5% and 97.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We attribute the increase in the combined ratio primarily to an increase in the loss ratio for the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020.
Interest Expense.
Our interest expense for the first three months of 2021 was $312,326, compared to $224,330 for the first three months of 2020. We attribute the increase to higher average borrowings under our lines of credit during the first three months of 2021 compared to the first three months of 2020.
Income Taxes.
We recorded income tax expense of $2.2 million for the first three months of 2021, representing an effective tax rate of 17.4%. The income tax expense and effective tax rate for the first three months of 2021 represented an estimate based on our projected annual taxable income. We recorded an income tax benefit of $1.2 million for the first three months of 2020, which primarily represented a $1.6 million income tax benefit related to the anticipated carryback of 2018 net
 
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operating losses to past tax years with higher statutory income tax rates than are currently in effect, as allowed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that was enacted in March 2020.
Net Income and Income Per Share.
Our net income for the first three months of 2021 was $10.5 million, or $.35
per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $.32 per share of Class B common stock, compared to $3.7 million, or $.13 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $.12 per share of Class B common stock, for the first three months of 2020. We had 25.0 million and 23.3 million Class A shares outstanding at March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We had 5.6 million Class B shares outstanding at the end of both periods.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is a measure of an entity’s ability to secure enough cash to meet its contractual obligations and operating needs as such obligations and needs arise. Our major sources of funds from operations are the net cash flows we generate from our insurance subsidiaries’ underwriting results, investment income and investment maturities.
Our operations have historically generated sufficient net positive cash flow to fund our commitments and add to our investment portfolio, thereby increasing future investment returns and enhancing our liquidity. The impact of the pooling agreement between Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States has historically been cash-flow positive because of the consistent underwriting profitability of the pool. Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States settle their respective obligations to each other under the pool monthly, thereby resulting in cash flows substantially similar to the cash flows that would result from each company writing the business directly. We have not experienced any unusual variations in the timing of claim payments associated with the loss reserves of our insurance subsidiaries. We maintain significant liquidity in our investment portfolio in the form of readily marketable fixed maturities, equity securities and short-term investments. We structure our fixed-maturity investment portfolio following a “laddering” approach, so that projected cash flows from investment income and principal maturities are evenly distributed from a timing perspective, thereby providing an additional measure of liquidity to meet our obligations should an unexpected variation occur in the future. Our operating activities provided net cash flows in the first three months of 2021 and 2020 of $29.9 million and $10.8 million, respectively.
At March 31, 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings under our line of credit with M&T and had the ability to borrow up to $20.0 million at interest rates equal to the then-current LIBOR rate plus 2.00%. At March 31, 2021, Atlantic States had $35.0 million in outstanding advances with the FHLB of Pittsburgh that carry a fixed interest rate of 1.74%.
We estimate the timing of claim payments associated with the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of our insurance subsidiaries based on historical experience and expectations of future payment patterns. We show these liabilities net of reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and loss expenses to reflect expected future cash flows related to such liabilities. Amounts Atlantic States assumes pursuant to the pooling agreement with Donegal Mutual represent a substantial portion of our insurance subsidiaries’ gross liabilities for losses and loss expenses, and amounts Atlantic States cedes pursuant to the pooling agreement represent a substantial portion of our insurance subsidiaries’ reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses and loss expenses. We include cash settlement of Atlantic States’ assumed liabilities from the pool in monthly settlements of pooled activity, as we net amounts ceded to and assumed from the pool. Although Donegal Mutual and we do not anticipate any changes in the pool participation levels in the foreseeable future, any such change would be prospective in nature and therefore would not impact the timing of expected payments by Atlantic States for its percentage share of pooled losses occurring in periods prior to the effective date of such change.
We discuss in Note 7 – Borrowings our estimate of the timing of the amounts payable for the borrowings under our lines of credit based on their contractual maturities. The borrowings under our lines of credit carry interest rates that we discuss in Note 7 – Borrowings.
We discuss in Note 7 – Borrowings our estimate of the timing of the amounts payable for the subordinated debentures based on their contractual maturity. The subordinated debentures carry an interest rate of 5%, and any repayment of principal or payment of interest on the subordinated debentures requires prior approval of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Our annual interest cost associated with the subordinated debentures is $250,000.
On July 18, 2013, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we have the authority to purchase up to 500,000 shares of our Class A common stock at prices prevailing from time to time in the open market subject to the provisions of applicable rules of the SEC and in privately negotiated transactions. We did not purchase any shares of our Class A common stock under this program during the three months ended March 31, 2021 or 2020. We have purchased a total of 57,658 shares of our Class A common stock under this program from its inception through March 31, 2021.
 
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On April 15, 2021, our board of directors declared quarterly cash dividends of 16.0 cents per share of our Class A common stock and 14.25
cents per share of our Class B common stock, payable on May 17, 2021 to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 3, 2021. We are not subject to any restrictions on our payment of dividends to our stockholders, although there are state law restrictions on the payment of dividends by our insurance subsidiaries to us. Dividends from our insurance subsidiaries are our principal source of cash for payment of dividends to our stockholders. Our insurance subsidiaries are subject to regulations that restrict the payment of dividends from statutory surplus and may require prior approval of their domiciliary insurance regulatory authorities. Our insurance subsidiaries are also subject to risk based capital (“RBC”) requirements that limit their ability to pay dividends to us. Our insurance subsidiaries’ statutory capital and surplus at December 31, 2020 exceeded the amount of statutory capital and surplus necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements, including the RBC requirements, by a significant margin. Our insurance subsidiaries did not pay any dividends to us during the first three months of 2021. Amounts remaining available for distribution to us as dividends from our insurance subsidiaries without prior approval of their domiciliary insurance regulatory authorities in 2021 are $28.0 million from Atlantic States, $300,000 from Southern, $10.9 million from Peninsula and $12.2 million from MICO, or a total of approximately $51.4 million.
At March 31, 2021, we had no material commitments for capital expenditures.
Equity Price Risk
Our portfolio of marketable equity securities, which we carry on our consolidated balance sheets at estimated fair value, has exposure to the risk of loss resulting from an adverse change in prices. We manage this risk by having our investment personnel perform an analysis of prospective investments and regular reviews of our portfolio of equity securities.
Credit Risk
Our portfolio of fixed-maturity securities and, to a lesser extent, our portfolio of short-term investments is subject to credit risk, which we define as the potential loss in market value resulting from adverse changes in the borrower’s ability to repay its debt. We manage this risk by having our investment personnel perform an analysis of prospective investments and regular reviews of our portfolio of fixed-maturity securities. We also limit the percentage and amount of our total investment portfolio that we invest in the securities of any one issuer.
Our insurance subsidiaries provide property and casualty insurance coverages through independent insurance agencies. We bill the majority of this business directly to the insured, although we bill a portion of our commercial business through licensed insurance agents to whom our insurance subsidiaries extend credit in the normal course of business.
Because the pooling agreement does not relieve Atlantic States of primary liability as the originating insurer, Atlantic States is subject to a concentration of credit risk arising from the business it cedes to Donegal Mutual. Our insurance subsidiaries maintain reinsurance agreements with Donegal Mutual and with a number of other major unaffiliated authorized reinsurers.
Item 3.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Our market risk generally represents the risk of gain or loss that may result from the potential change in the fair value of the securities we hold in our investment portfolio as a result of fluctuations in prices and interest rates and, to a lesser extent, our debt obligations. We manage our interest rate risk by maintaining an appropriate relationship between the average duration of our investment portfolio and the approximate duration of our liabilities, i.e., policy claims of our insurance subsidiaries and our debt obligations.
There have been no material changes to our quantitative or qualitative market risk exposure from December 31, 2020 through March 31, 2021.
Item 4.   Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules
13a-15(e)
and
15d-15(e)
under the Exchange Act). Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, at March 31, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on
 
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a timely basis, information we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act, and our disclosure controls and procedures were also effective to ensure that information we disclose in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter covered by this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to affect materially, our internal control over financial reporting.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
We base all statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
that are not historic facts on our current expectations. Such statements are forward-looking in nature (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) and necessarily involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements we make may be identified by our use of words such as “will,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates” and similar expressions. Our actual results could vary materially from our forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause our actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking statements we have previously made include, but are not limited to, prolonged economic challenges resulting from the
COVID-19
pandemic, the availability and cost of labor and materials, adverse and catastrophic weather events, our ability to maintain profitable operations, the adequacy of the loss and loss expense reserves of our insurance subsidiaries, the availability and successful operation of the information technology systems our insurance subsidiaries utilize, the successful development of new information technology systems to allow our insurance subsidiaries to compete effectively, business and economic conditions in the areas in which we and our insurance subsidiaries operate, interest rates, competition from various insurance and other financial businesses, terrorism, the availability and cost of reinsurance, legal and judicial developments including those related to
COVID-19
business interruption coverage exclusions, adverse litigation and other industry trends that could increase our loss costs, changes in regulatory requirements, changes in our A.M. Best rating, our ability to integrate and manage successfully the companies we may acquire from time to time and the other risks that we describe from time to time in our filings with the SEC. We disclaim any obligation to update such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions that we may make to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.
Part II. Other Information
Item 1.   Legal Proceedings.
None.
Item 1A.         Risk Factors.
Our business, results of operations and financial condition, and, therefore, the value of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock, are subject to a number of risks. For a description of certain risks, we refer to “Risk Factors” in our 2020 Annual Report on Form
10-K
that we filed with the SEC on March 5, 2021. There have been no material changes in the risk factors we disclosed in that Form
10-K
Report during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
 
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Item 2.   Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
 
Period
  
(a) Total Number of Shares
(or Units) Purchased
  
(b) Average Price Paid per
Share (or Unit)
  
(c) Total Number of Shares
(or Units) Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs
  
(d) Maximum Number (or
Approximate Dollar Value)
of Shares (or Units) that
May Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs
Month #1
January 1-31, 2021
   Class A – None
Class B – None
   Class A – None
Class B – None
   Class A – None
Class B – None
  
Month #2
February 1-28, 2021
   Class A – None
Class B – None
   Class A – None
Class B – None
   Class A – None
Class B – None
  
Month #3
March 1-31,
2021
   Class A – 75,000
Class B – None
   Class A – $14.85
Class B – None
   Class A – 75,000
Class B – None
   (1)
Total    Class A – 75,000
Class B – None
   Class A – $14.85
Class B – None
   Class A – 75,000
Class B – None
  
 
  (1)
Donegal Mutual purchased these shares pursuant to its announcement on August 17, 2004 that it will, at its discretion, purchase shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock at market prices prevailing from time to time in the open market subject to the provisions of SEC Rule
10b-18
and in privately negotiated transactions. Such announcement did not stipulate a maximum number of shares that may be purchased under this program.
Item 3.   Defaults upon Senior Securities.
None.
Item 4.   Mine Safety Disclosure.
Not Applicable.
Item 5.   Other Information.
None.
 
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Item 6.   Exhibits.
 
Exhibit No.
 
Description
Exhibit 31.1  
Exhibit 31.2  
Exhibit 32.1  
Exhibit 32.2  
Exhibit 101.INS  
XBRL Instance Document
Exhibit 101.SCH  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
Exhibit 101.PRE  
XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document
Exhibit 101.CAL  
XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase Document
Exhibit 101.LAB  
XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase Document
Exhibit 101.DEF  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
 
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Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 
   
DONEGAL GROUP INC.
May 7, 2021    
By:
 
/s/ Kevin G. Burke
      Kevin G. Burke, President and Chief Executive Officer
 
May 7, 2021    
By:
 
/s/ Jeffrey D. Miller
     
Jeffrey D. Miller, Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer