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DONEGAL GROUP INC - Quarter Report: 2023 September (Form 10-Q)


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 September 30, 2023
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  ☒

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: 27,668,853 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 November 1, 2023.



DONEGAL GROUP INC.
INDEX TO FORM 10-Q REPORT

   
Page
PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
Item 1.
1
Item 2.
23
Item 3.
33
Item 4.
33
     
PART II
OTHER INFORMATION
 
Item 1.
34
Item 1A.
34
Item 2.
35
Item 3.
35
Item 4.
35
Item 5.
35
Item 6.
36
37

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
Financial Statements

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets

   
September 30,
2023
   
December 31,
2022
 
   
(Unaudited)
       
Assets
           
Investments
           
Fixed maturities
           
Held to maturity, at amortized cost (net of allowance for expected credit losses of $1,358,977 and $0)
 
$
683,911,746
   
$
688,439,360
 
Available for sale, at fair value
   
566,539,622
     
523,791,931
 
Equity securities, at fair value
   
35,463,958
     
35,104,840
 
Short-term investments, at cost, which approximates fair value
   
20,370,551
     
57,321,111
 
Total investments
   
1,306,285,877
     
1,304,657,242
 
Cash
   
23,718,830
     
25,123,332
 
Accrued investment income
   
10,477,007
     
8,861,292
 
Premiums receivable
   
188,633,601
     
173,846,294
 
Reinsurance receivable (net of allowance for expected credit losses of $1,604,771 and $0)
   
437,888,614
     
456,522,223
 
Deferred policy acquisition costs
   
77,920,996
     
73,170,230
 
Deferred tax asset, net
   
23,790,808
     
21,603,017
 
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
   
173,147,044
     
160,591,399
 
Property and equipment, net
   
2,673,580
     
2,755,105
 
Accounts receivable - securities
   
     
1,842
 
Federal income taxes recoverable
   
7,974,138
     
8,510,897
 
Goodwill
   
5,625,354
     
5,625,354
 
Other intangible assets
   
958,010
     
958,010
 
Other
   
1,183,162
     
1,123,098
 
Total assets
 
$
2,260,277,021
   
$
2,243,349,335
 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
Liabilities
               
Losses and loss expenses
 
$
1,113,354,318
   
$
1,121,045,758
 
Unearned premiums
   
617,325,983
     
577,653,130
 
Accrued expenses
   
4,107,224
     
4,226,390
 
Reinsurance balances payable
   
7,454,490
     
3,495,824
 
Borrowings under lines of credit
   
35,000,000
     
35,000,000
 
Cash dividends declared to stockholders
   

     
5,296,990
 
Due to affiliate
    1,189,483       5,173,289  
Other
   
8,505,945
     
7,864,942
 
Total liabilities
   
1,786,937,443
     
1,759,756,323
 
Stockholders’ Equity
               
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 2,000,000 shares; none issued
   
     
 
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares, issued 30,629,636 and 30,120,263 shares and outstanding 27,627,048 and 27,117,675 shares
   
306,297
     
301,203
 
Class B common stock, $0.01 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
   
333,559,263
     
325,601,647
 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
   
(50,295,321
)
   
(41,703,747
)
Retained earnings
   
230,939,204
     
240,563,774
 
Treasury stock, at cost
   
(41,226,357
)
   
(41,226,357
)
Total stockholders’ equity
   
473,339,578
     
483,593,012
 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
 
$
2,260,277,021
   
$
2,243,349,335
 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

1

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Loss
(Unaudited)
 
   
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
Revenues:
           
Net premiums earned
 
$
224,392,849
   
$
206,121,826
 
Investment income, net of investment expenses
   
10,536,488
     
8,568,671
 
Net investment losses (includes ($237,611) and $371,194 accumulated other comprehensive income reclassifications)
   
(1,242,521
)
   
(2,357,634
)
Lease income
   
85,663
     
91,679
 
Installment payment fees
   
155,771
     
413,706
 
Total revenues
   
233,928,250
     
212,838,248
 
Expenses:
               
Net losses and loss expenses
   
156,683,024
     
155,754,256
 
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs
   
39,332,000
     
35,513,000
 
Other underwriting expenses
   
37,155,385
     
33,411,529
 
Policyholder dividends
   
1,399,310
     
1,239,154
 
Interest
   
156,318
     
71,430
 
Other expenses, net
   
207,127
     
218,083
 
Total expenses
   
234,933,164
     
226,207,452
 
Loss before income tax benefit
   
(1,004,914
)
   
(13,369,204
)
Income tax benefit (includes ($49,898) and $77,951 income tax (benefit) expense from reclassification items)
   
(199,613
)
   
(2,993,333
)
Net loss
 
$
(805,301
)
 
$
(10,375,871
)
Net loss per share:
               
Class A common stock - basic and diluted
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.33
)
Class B common stock - basic and diluted
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.30
)

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(Unaudited)
 
   
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
Net loss
 
$
(805,301
)
 
$
(10,375,871
)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
               
Unrealized loss on securities:
               
Unrealized holding loss during the period, net of income tax benefit of $1,992,787 and $4,572,428
   
(8,085,494
)
   
(17,201,046
)
Reclassification adjustment for losses (gains) included in net loss, net of income tax (benefit) expense of ($49,898) and $77,951
   
187,713
   
(293,243
)
Other comprehensive loss
   
(7,897,781
)
   
(17,494,289
)
Comprehensive loss
 
$
(8,703,082
)
 
$
(27,870,160
)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

2

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of  Income (Loss)
(Unaudited)
 
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
    2023
   
2022
 
Revenues:
           
Net premiums earned
 
$
655,886,046
   
$
609,498,939
 
Investment income, net of investment expenses
   
30,143,025
     
24,631,398
 
Net investment gains (losses) (includes ($2,289,648) and $824,409 accumulated other comprehensive income reclassifications)
   
930,302
     
(10,810,594
)
Lease income
   
261,718
     
294,529
 
Installment payment fees
   
648,849
     
1,161,842
 
Total revenues
   
687,869,940
     
624,776,114
 
Expenses:
               
Net losses and loss expenses
   
446,023,609
     
415,245,619
 
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs
   
115,065,000
     
104,867,000
 
Other underwriting expenses
   
113,715,159
     
106,753,031
 
Policyholder dividends
   
4,088,288
     
4,176,649
 
Interest
   
463,911
     
464,188
 
Other expenses, net
   
968,976
     
991,671
 
Total expenses
   
680,324,943
     
632,498,158
 
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)
   
7,544,997
     
(7,722,044
)
Income tax expense (benefit) (includes ($480,826) and $173,126 income tax (benefit) expense from reclassification items)
   
1,149,279
     
(2,283,445
)
Net income (loss)
 
$
6,395,718
   
$
(5,438,599
)
Net income (loss) per share:
               
Class A common stock - basic and diluted   $ 0.20     $ (0.17 )
Class B common stock - basic and diluted
 
$
0.17
   
$
(0.16
)

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(Unaudited)
 
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
Net income (loss)
 
$
6,395,718
   
$
(5,438,599
)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax
               
Unrealized loss on securities:
               
Unrealized holding loss during the period, net of income tax benefit of $3,353,482 and $13,185,692
   
(13,204,298
)
   
(49,603,320
)
Reclassification adjustment for losses (gains) included in net income (loss), net of income tax (benefit) expense of ($480,826) and $173,126
   
1,808,822
     
(651,283
)
Other comprehensive loss
   
(11,395,476
)
   
(50,254,603
)
Comprehensive loss
 
$
(4,999,758
)
 
$
(55,693,202
)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
3

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023

   
Class A
Shares
   
Class B
Shares
   
Class A
Amount
   
Class B
Amount
   
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
   
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss
   
Retained
Earnings
   
Treasury
Stock
   
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
Balance, December 31, 2022
   
30,120,263
     
5,649,240
   
$
301,203
   
$
56,492
   
$
325,601,647
   
$
(41,703,747
)
 
$
240,563,774
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
483,593,012
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
35,045
     
     
350
     
     
440,746
     
     
     
     
441,096
 
Share-based compensation
   
143,004
     
     
1,431
     
     
2,218,355
     
     
     
     
2,219,786
 
Net income
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
5,203,596
     
     
5,203,596
 
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(7,057
)
   
     
(7,057
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
114,724
     
     
(114,724
)
   
     
 
Cumulative effect of adoption of
updated guidance for credit
losses at January 1, 2023
                                        (1,895,902 )           (1,895,902 )
Other comprehensive income
   
     
     
     
     
     
4,007,638
     
     
     
4,007,638
 
Balance, March 31, 2023
   
30,298,312
     
5,649,240
   
$
302,984
   
$
56,492
   
$
328,375,472
   
$
(37,696,109
)
 
$
243,749,687
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
493,562,169
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
44,664
     
     
447
     
     
668,933
     
     
     
     
669,380
 
Share-based compensation
   
195,893
     
     
1,958
     
     
2,966,842
     
     
     
     
2,968,800
 
Net income
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
1,997,423
     
     
1,997,423
 
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(5,498,873
)
   
     
(5,498,873
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
61,749
     
     
(61,749
)
   
     
 
Other comprehensive loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
(7,505,333
)
   
     
     
(7,505,333
)
Balance, June 30, 2023
   
30,538,869
     
5,649,240
   
$
305,389
   
$
56,492
   
$
332,072,996
   
$
(45,201,442
)
 
$
240,186,488
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
486,193,566
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
28,912
     
     
289
     
     
354,337
     
     
     
     
354,626
 
Share-based compensation
   
61,855
     
     
619
     
     
1,030,458
     
     
     
     
1,031,077
 
Net loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(805,301
)
   
     
(805,301
)
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(5,536,609
)
   
     
(5,536,609
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
101,472
     
     
(101,472
)
   
     
 
Reclassification of held to maturity transfer
               
                  2,803,902       (2,803,902 )            
Other comprehensive loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
(7,897,781
)
   
     
     
(7,897,781
)
Balance, September 30, 2023
   
30,629,636
     
5,649,240
   
$
306,297
   
$
56,492
   
$
333,559,263
   
$
(50,295,321
)
 
$
230,939,204
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
473,339,578
 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

4

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

   
Class A
Shares
   
Class B
Shares
   
Class A
Amount
   
Class B
Amount
   
Additional
Paid-In Capital
   
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
(Loss)
   
Retained
Earnings
   
Treasury
Stock
   
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
 
Balance, December 31, 2021
   
28,756,203
     
5,649,240
   
$
287,562
   
$
56,492
   
$
304,889,481
   
$
3,283,551
   
$
263,745,358
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
531,036,087
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
33,407
     
     
335
     
     
423,665
     
     
     
     
424,000
 
Share-based compensation
   
900
     
     
9
     
     
256,451
     
     
     
     
256,460
 
Net income
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
13,145,029
     
     
13,145,029
 
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(5,490
)
   
     
(5,490
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
98,409
     
     
(98,409
)
   
     
 
Other comprehensive loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
(20,590,225
)
   
     
     
(20,590,225
)
Balance, March 31, 2022
   
28,790,510
     
5,649,240
   
$
287,906
   
$
56,492
   
$
305,668,006
   
$
(17,306,674
)
 
$
276,786,488
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
524,265,861
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
54,743
     
     
547
     
     
736,349
     
     
     
     
736,896
 
Share-based compensation
   
775,898
     
     
7,759
     
     
11,476,429
     
     
     
     
11,484,188
 
Net loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(8,207,757
)
   
     
(8,207,757
)
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(5,086,617
)
   
     
(5,086,617
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
59,216
     
     
(59,216
)
   
     
 
Other comprehensive loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
(12,170,089
)
   
     
     
(12,170,089
)
Balance, June 30, 2022
   
29,621,151
     
5,649,240
   
$
296,212
   
$
56,492
   
$
317,940,000
   
$
(29,476,763
)
 
$
263,432,898
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
511,022,482
 
Issuance of common stock
(stock compensation plans)
   
23,454
     
     
235
     
     
270,887
     
     
     
     
271,122
 
Share-based compensation
   
195,322
     
     
1,953
     
     
3,013,995
     
     
     
     
3,015,948
 
Net loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(10,375,871
)
   
     
(10,375,871
)
Cash dividends declared
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
(5,235,993
)
   
     
(5,235,993
)
Grant of stock options
   
     
     
     
     
138,907
     
     
(138,907
)
   
     
 
Other comprehensive loss
   
     
     
     
     
     
(17,494,289
)
   
     
     
(17,494,289
)
Balance, September 30, 2022
   
29,839,927
     
5,649,240
   
$
298,400
   
$
56,492
   
$
321,363,789
   
$
(46,971,052
)
 
$
247,682,127
   
$
(41,226,357
)
 
$
481,203,399
 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

5

Donegal Group Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)

   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
           
Net income (loss)
 
$
6,395,718
   
$
(5,438,599
)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items
   
3,215,399
     
3,747,654
 
Net investment (gains) losses
   
(930,302
)
   
10,810,594
 
Changes in assets and liabilities:
               
Losses and loss expenses
   
(7,691,440
)
   
30,505,293
 
Unearned premiums
   
39,672,853
     
22,394,901
 
Premiums receivable
   
(14,787,307
)
   
(12,881,975
)
Deferred acquisition costs
   
(4,750,766
)
   
(6,355,269
)
Deferred income taxes
   
600,019
     
(2,645,695
)
Reinsurance receivable
   
17,501,773
     
3,564,454
 
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
   
(12,555,645
)
   
11,222,717
 
Accrued investment income
   
(1,615,715
)
   
(1,608,978
)
Due to affiliate
   
(3,983,806
)
   
(1,342,121
)
Reinsurance balances payable
   
3,958,666
     
(16,695
)
Current income taxes
   
536,759
     
(4,150,265
)
Accrued expenses
   
(119,166
)
   
282,286
 
Other, net
   
580,936
     
1,811,243
 
Net adjustments
   
19,632,258
     
55,338,144
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
   
26,027,976
     
49,899,545
 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
               
Purchases of fixed maturities, held to maturity
   
(25,226,609
)
   
(68,902,605
)
Purchases of fixed maturities, available for sale
   
(131,155,483
)
   
(101,328,478
)
Purchases of equity securities, available for sale
   
(5,128,994
)
   
(12,488,733
)
Maturity of fixed maturities:
               
Held to maturity
   
29,144,970
     
41,194,285
 
Available for sale
   
41,318,216
     
60,346,490
 
Sales of fixed maturities:
               
Available for sale
    28,154,556       6,568,154  
Sales of equity securities, available for sale
   
8,080,764
     
17,498,036
 
Net (purchases) sales of property and equipment
   
(44,701
)
   
28,289
 
Net sales (purchases) of short-term investments
   
36,950,560
     
(23,968,454
)
Net cash used in investing activities
   
(17,906,721
)
   
(81,053,016
)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
               
Cash dividends paid
   
(16,339,529
)
   
(15,243,368
)
Issuance of common stock
   
6,813,772
     
15,348,793
 
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
   
(9,525,757
)
   
105,425
 
Net decrease in cash
   
(1,404,502
)
   
(31,048,046
)
Cash at beginning of period
   
25,123,332
     
57,709,375
 
Cash at end of period
 
$
23,718,830
   
$
26,661,329
 
                 
Cash paid during period - Interest
 
$
463,911
   
$
464,188
 
Net cash paid during period - Taxes
 
$
   
$
4,500,000
 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

6

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”), Michigan Insurance Company (“MICO”), Southern Insurance Company of Virginia (“Southern”) and the Peninsula Insurance Group (“Peninsula”), which consists of Peninsula Indemnity Company and The Peninsula Insurance Company, and our affiliates write personal and commercial lines of property and casualty coverages exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, New England, Southern and Southwestern states.



At September 30, 2023, we had 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 September 30, 2023, Donegal Mutual held approximately 44% of our outstanding Class A common stock and approximately 84% of our outstanding Class B common stock. This ownership provides Donegal Mutual with approximately 71% 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  100% quota-share reinsurance agreements with Mountain States Commercial Insurance Company, Mountain States Indemnity Company and Southern Mutual Insurance Company. Donegal Mutual places its assumed business from these companies 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.

7

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 nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations we expect for the year ending December 31, 2023.



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, 2022.

3 -
Net Income (Loss) 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 net income (loss) per share. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines net income (loss) per share separately for each class of common stock based on dividends we have declared and an allocation of our remaining undistributed net income (loss) 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 (loss) per share for our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock:

   
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
Class A
   
Class B
   
Class A
   
Class B
 
   
(in thousands, except per share data)
 
Basic net loss per share:
                       
Numerator:
                       
Allocation of net loss
 
$
(671
)
 
$
(134
)
 
$
(8,714
)
 
$
(1,662
)
Denominator:
                               
Weighted-average shares outstanding
   
27,595
     
5,577
     
26,781
     
5,577
 
Basic net loss per share
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.33
)
 
$
(0.30
)
                                 
Diluted net loss per share:
                               
Numerator:
                               
Allocation of net loss
 
$
(671
)
 
$
(134
)
 
$
(8,714
)
 
$
(1,662
)
Denominator:
                               
Number of shares used in basic computation
   
27,595
     
5,577
     
26,781
     
5,577
 
Weighted-average shares effect of dilutive securities:
                               
Director and employee stock options
   
     
     
     
 
Number of shares used in diluted computation
   
27,595
     
5,577
     
26,781
     
5,577
 
Diluted net loss per share
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.02
)
 
$
(0.33
)
 
$
(0.30
)

8

   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
Class A
   
Class B
   
Class A
   
Class B
 
   
(in thousands, except per share data)
 
Basic net income (loss) per share:
                       
Numerator:
                       
Allocation of net income (loss)
 
$
5,421
   
$
975
   
$
(4,529
)
 
$
(910
)
Denominator:
                               
Weighted-average shares outstanding
   
27,391
     
5,577
     
26,216
     
5,577
 
Basic net income (loss) per share
 
$
0.20
   
$
0.17
   
$
(0.17
)
 
$
(0.16
)
                                 
Diluted net income (loss) per share:
                               
Numerator:
                               
Allocation of net income (loss)
 
$
5,421
   
$
975
   
$
(4,529
)
 
$
(910
)
Denominator:
                               
Number of shares used in basic computation
   
27,391
     
5,577
     
26,216
     
5,577
 
Weighted-average shares effect of dilutive securities:
                               
Director and employee stock options
   
117
     
     
     
 
Number of shares used in diluted computation
   
27,508
     
5,577
     
26,216
     
5,577
 
Diluted net income (loss) per share
 
$
0.20
   
$
0.17
   
$
(0.17
)
 
$
(0.16
)


We did not include outstanding options to purchase the following number of shares of Class A common stock in our computation of diluted net income 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 September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
 
2023
 
2022
 
2023
 
2022
 
                         
Number of options to purchase Class A shares excluded
   
     
     
2,245,435
     
 



We did not include any effect of dilutive securities in the computation of diluted net loss per share for the three months ended September 30, 2023 because we sustained a net loss for the period. We did not include any effect of dilutive securities in the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 because we sustained a net loss for the respective periods.

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.



Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual participate in a consolidated third-party reinsurance program. The coverage and parameters of the program are common to all of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual. The program utilizes 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 Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries have in place for 2023:

9


excess of loss reinsurance, under which Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries recover losses over a set retention of $3.0 million for all losses other than workers’compensation and a retention of $2.0 million for workers’ compensation losses; and

 
catastrophe reinsurance, under which Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries recover 100% of an accumulation of many losses resulting from a single event, including natural disasters, over a set retention of $25.0 million up to aggregate losses of $175.0 million per occurrence.



For property insurance, our insurance subsidiaries have excess of loss reinsurance that provides coverage of $37.0 million per loss over a set retention of $3.0 million. For liability insurance, our insurance subsidiaries have excess of loss reinsurance that provides coverage of $72.0 million per occurrence over a set retention of $3.0 million. For workers’ compensation insurance, our insurance subsidiaries have excess of loss reinsurance that provides coverage of $18.0 million on any one life over a set retention of $2.0 million.


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 $3.0 million up to aggregate losses of $22.0 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 $6.0 million. The purpose of the agreement is to lessen the effects of an accumulation of losses arising from one event to levels that are appropriate given each subsidiary’s size, underwriting profile and surplus.



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.



In order to write automobile insurance in the state of Michigan, Atlantic States and MICO are required to be members of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (“MCCA”).  The MCCA provides reinsurance to Atlantic States and MICO for personal automobile and commercial automobile personal injury claims in the state of Michigan over a set retention.



We report reinsurance receivable net of an allowance for expected credit losses. We base the allowance upon our ongoing review of amounts outstanding, historical loss data, changes in reinsurer credit standing and other relevant factors. We use a probability-of-default methodology, which reflects current and forecasted economic conditions, to estimate the allowance for expected credit losses.

5 -
Investments



The amortized cost and estimated fair values of our fixed maturities at September 30, 2023 were as follows:

    Carrying Value
   
Allowance for
Credit Losses
 
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
  $
91,484     $
55    
$
91,539
   
$
   
$
12,921
   
$
78,618
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
    379,764       298      
380,062
     
454
     
75,269
     
305,247
 
Corporate securities
    202,797       1,000      
203,797
     
     
24,284
     
179,513
 
Mortgage-backed securities
    9,867       6      
9,873
     
     
748
     
9,125
 
Totals
  $
683,912     $
1,359    
$
685,271
   
$
454
   
$
113,222
   
$
572,503
 

10

   
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
 
$
88,636
   
$
   
$
6,485
   
$
82,151
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
42,173
     
7
     
6,634
     
35,546
 
Corporate securities
   
212,323
     
     
19,300
     
193,023
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
285,619
     
     
29,799
     
255,820
 
Totals
 
$
628,751
   
$
7
   
$
62,218
   
$
566,540
 



At September 30, 2023, our holdings of obligations of states and political subdivisions included general obligation bonds with an aggregate fair value of $225.4 million and an amortized cost of $280.9 million. Our holdings at September 30, 2023 also included special revenue bonds with an aggregate fair value of $115.4 million and an amortized cost of $141.3 million. With respect to both categories of those bonds at September 30, 2023, 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 47% and 36%, respectively, of our total investments in special revenue bonds based on the carrying values of these investments at September 30, 2023. Many of the issuers of the special revenue bonds we held at September 30, 2023 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.



The amortized cost and estimated fair values of our fixed maturities at December 31, 2022 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
 
$
103,362
   
$
1
   
$
10,566
   
$
92,797
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
382,097
     
1,810
     
60,494
     
323,413
 
Corporate securities
   
190,949
     
     
20,510
     
170,439
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
12,031
     
     
635
     
11,396
 
Totals
 
$
688,439
   
$
1,811
   
$
92,205
   
$
598,045
 

   
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
 
$
68,538
   
$
109
   
$
5,125
   
$
63,522
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
45,448
     
34
     
5,326
     
40,156
 
Corporate securities
   
218,041
     
8
     
15,211
     
202,838
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
239,886
     
155
     
22,765
     
217,276
 
Totals
 
$
571,913
   
$
306
   
$
48,427
   
$
523,792
 



At December 31, 2022, our holdings of obligations of states and political subdivisions included general obligation bonds with an aggregate fair value of $240.7 million and an amortized cost of $283.5 million. Our holdings also included special revenue bonds with an aggregate fair value of $122.9 million and an amortized cost of $144.0 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, 2022. Education bonds and water and sewer utility bonds represented 48% and 35%, respectively, of our total investments in special revenue bonds based on their carrying values at December 31, 2022. Many of the issuers of the special revenue bonds we held at December 31, 2022 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.


11


We have segregated within accumulated other comprehensive loss the net unrealized losses of $15.1 million arising prior to the November 30, 2013 reclassification date for fixed maturities reclassified from available for sale to held to maturity. We are amortizing this balance over the remaining life of the related securities as an adjustment of yield in a manner consistent with the accretion of discount on the same fixed maturities. We recorded amortization of $ 225,070 and $415,153 in other comprehensive loss during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, net unrealized losses of $1.5 million and $4.7 million, respectively, remained within accumulated other comprehensive loss.


We show below the amortized cost and estimated fair value of our fixed maturities at September 30, 2023 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
 
$
22,133
   
$
22,012
 
Due after one year through five years
   
106,022
     
98,950
 
Due after five years through ten years
   
251,366
     
217,144
 
Due after ten years
   
295,877
     
225,272
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
9,873
     
9,125
 
Total held to maturity
 
$
685,271
   
$
572,503
 
                 
Available for sale
               
Due in one year or less
 
$
40,101
   
$
39,458
 
Due after one year through five years
   
175,077
     
161,274
 
Due after five years through ten years
   
102,498
     
89,399
 
Due after ten years
   
25,456
     
20,589
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
285,619
     
255,820
 
Total available for sale
 
$
628,751
   
$
566,540
 



The cost and estimated fair values of our equity securities at September 30, 2023 were as follows:

   
Cost
   
Gross Gains
   
Gross Losses
   
Estimated Fair
Value
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Equity securities
 
$
27,953
   
$
8,014
   
$
503
   
$
35,464
 



The cost and estimated fair values of our equity securities at December 31, 2022 were as follows:

   
Cost
   
Gross Gains
   
Gross Losses
   
Estimated Fair
Value
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Equity securities
 
$
30,771
   
$
5,666
   
$
1,332
   
$
35,105
 

12


We present below gross gains and losses from investments and the change in the difference between fair value and cost of investments:

   
Three Months Ended September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
    (in thousands)  
Gross realized gains:
                       
Fixed maturities
 
$
   
$
326
   
$
295
   
$
998
 
Equity securities
   
108
     
400
     
393
     
1,243
 
Real estate
                      477  
 
   
108
     
726
     
688
     
2,718
 
Gross realized losses:
                               
Fixed maturities
   
237
     
73
     
2,585
     
173
 
Equity securities
   
424
     
249
     
475
     
1,073
 
     
661
     
322
     
3,060
     
1,246
 
Net realized (losses) gains
   
(553
)
   
404
     
(2,372
)
   
1,472
 
Gross unrealized gains on equity securities
    (735 )     117       3,940       123  
Gross unrealized losses on equity securities
    80       (2,879 )     (547 )     (12,406 )
 Fixed maturities - credit impairment charges     (35 )           (91 )      
Net investment (losses) gains
  $ (1,243 )   $ (2,358 )   $ 930     $ (10,811 )



We held fixed maturities with unrealized losses representing declines that we considered temporary at September 30, 2023 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
 
$
51,076
   
$
1,224
   
$
109,693
   
$
18,182
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
38,870
     
1,965
     
281,436
     
79,938
 
Corporate securities
   
33,707
     
2,325
     
338,829
     
41,259
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
89,676
     
3,221
     
175,269
     
27,326
 
Totals
 
$
213,329
   
$
8,735
   
$
905,227
   
$
166,705
 


13


We held fixed maturities with unrealized losses representing declines that we considered temporary at December 31, 2022 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
 
$
90,245
   
$
5,327
   
$
47,238
   
$
10,364
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
261,465
     
49,327
     
47,945
     
16,493
 
Corporate securities
   
298,706
     
22,272
     
72,959
     
13,449
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
143,886
     
10,941
     
69,879
     
12,459
 
Totals
 
$
794,302
   
$
87,867
   
$
238,021
   
$
52,765
 


We make estimates concerning the valuation of our investments and, as applicable, the recognition of 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 an available-for-sale 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 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 establish an allowance for credit loss. We then recognize the amount of the allowance in our results of operations, and we recognize the remaining portion of the impairment loss in our other comprehensive income, net of applicable taxes. We regularly review the allowance for credit losses and recognize changes in the allowance in our results of operations. 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. For held-to-maturity debt securities, we make estimates concerning expected credit losses at an aggregated level rather that monitoring individual debt securities for credit losses. We establish an allowance for expected credit losses based on an ongoing review of securities held, historical loss data, changes in issuer credit standing and other relevant factors. We utilize a probability-of-default methodology, which reflects current and forecasted economic conditions, to estimate the allowance for expected credit losses and recognize changes to the allowance in our results of operations. We held 931 debt securities that were in an unrealized loss position at September 30, 2023. 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.

14


Financial data by segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:


   
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Revenues:
           
Premiums earned:
           
Commercial lines
 
$
135,432
   
$
127,497
 
Personal lines
   
88,961
     
78,625
 
GAAP premiums earned
   
224,393
     
206,122
 
Net investment income
   
10,536
     
8,569
 
Investment losses
   
(1,243
)
   
(2,358
)
Other
   
242
     
505
 
Total revenues
 
$
233,928
   
$
212,838
 
Loss before income tax benefit:
               
Underwriting gain (loss):
               
Commercial lines
 
$
9,957
   
$
(12,100
)
Personal lines
   
(20,016
)
   
(9,126
)
SAP underwriting loss
   
(10,059
)
   
(21,226
)
GAAP adjustments
   
(118
)
   
1,430
 
GAAP underwriting loss
   
(10,177
)
   
(19,796
)
Net investment income
   
10,536
     
8,569
 
Investment losses
   
(1,243
)
   
(2,358
)
Other
   
(121
)
   
216
 
Loss before income tax benefit
 
$
(1,005
)
 
$
(13,369
)

15

   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Revenues:
           
Premiums earned:
           
Commercial lines
 
$
399,427
   
$
378,680
 
Personal lines
   
256,459
     
230,819
 
GAAP premiums earned
   
655,886
     
609,499
 
Net investment income
   
30,143
     
24,631
 
Investment gains (losses)
   
930
     
(10,811
)
Other
   
911
     
1,457
 
Total revenues
 
$
687,870
   
$
624,776
 
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit):
               
Underwriting loss:
               
Commercial lines
 
$
(4,024
)
 
$
(16,873
)
Personal lines
   
(24,950
)
   
(12,654
)
SAP underwriting loss
   
(28,974
)
   
(29,527
)
GAAP adjustments
   
5,968
     
7,984
 
GAAP underwriting loss
   
(23,006
)
   
(21,543
)
Net investment income
   
30,143
     
24,631
 
Investment gains (losses)
   
930
     
(10,811
)
Other
   
(522
)
   
1
 
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)
 
$
7,545
   
$
(7,722
)

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 September 30, 2023, we had no outstanding borrowings from M&T and had the ability to borrow up to $20.0 million at an interest rate equal to the then-current Term SOFR rate plus 2.11%.



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 September 30, 2023. The cash advance carries a fixed interest rate of 1.74% and is due in August 2024. 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 September 30, 2023.

FHLB of Pittsburgh stock purchased and owned
 
$
1,591,800
 
Collateral pledged, at par (carrying value $42,167,218)
   
47,017,596
 
Borrowing capacity currently available
   
4,456,902
 

16

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 recorded compensation expense related to our stock compensation plans of $182,185 and $158,966 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, with a corresponding income tax benefit of $38,259 and $33,383, respectively. We recorded compensation expense related to our stock compensation plans of $683,439 and $644,751 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, with a corresponding income tax benefit of $143,522 and $135,398, respectively. At September 30, 2023, we had $966,925 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 1.5 years.



We received cash from option exercises under all stock compensation plans during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 of $ 848,891 and $2.9 million, respectively. We received cash from option exercises under all stock compensation plans during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 of $5.5 million and $14.1 million, respectively. We realized actual tax benefits for the tax deductions related to those option exercises of $ 13,501 and $65,030 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We realized actual tax benefits for the tax deductions related to those option exercises of $126,644 and $329,842 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, 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



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 and non-publicly traded equity securities 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. We generally obtain two prices per security. 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 monitor the market and are familiar with 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, coupon 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 September 30, 2023, 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 September 30, 2023, we did not identify any material discrepancies, and we did not make any adjustments to the estimates the pricing services provided.


17


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, reinsurance receivables related to paid losses and loss expenses and reinsurance balances payable approximate their fair values. The carrying amounts we report in our balance sheets for our 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.



The following table presents our fair value measurements for our investments in available-for-sale fixed maturity and equity securities at September 30, 2023:

   
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
 
$
82,151
   
$
   
$
82,151
   
$
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
35,546
     
     
35,546
     
 
Corporate securities
   
193,023
     
     
193,023
     
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
255,820
     
     
255,820
     
 
Equity securities
   
35,464
     
33,472
     
1,992
     
 
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy
 
$
602,004
   
$
33,472
   
$
568,532
   
$
 


The following table presents our fair value measurements for our investments in available-for-sale fixed maturity and equity securities at December 31, 2022:

   
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
 
$
63,522
   
$
   
$
63,522
   
$
 
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
   
40,156
     
     
40,156
     
 
Corporate securities
   
202,838
     
     
202,838
     
 
Mortgage-backed securities
   
217,276
     
     
217,276
     
 
Equity securities
   
35,105
     
32,821
     
2,284
     
 
Totals
 
$
558,897
   
$
32,821
   
$
526,076
   
$
 

18

10 -
Income Taxes



At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, we had no material unrecognized tax benefits or accrued interest and penalties. Tax years 2016 through 2022 remained open for examination at September 30, 2023. 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 $8.1 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 $43.4 million and $39.8 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 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. 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. 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’ 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:

   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Balance at January 1
 
$
1,121,046
   
$
1,077,620
 
Less reinsurance recoverable
   
(451,184
)
   
(451,261
)
Cumulative effect of adoption of updated accounting guidance for credit losses at January 1     1,132        
Net balance at January 1
   
670,994
     
626,359
 
Incurred related to:
               
Current year
   
461,799
     
445,855
 
Prior years
   
(15,775
)
   
(30,609
)
Total incurred
   
446,024
     
415,246
 
Paid related to:
               
Current year
   
230,214
     
209,051
 
Prior years
   
204,842
     
170,129
 
Total paid
   
435,056
     
379,180
 
Net balance at end of period
   
681,962
     
662,425
 
Plus reinsurance recoverable
   
431,392
     
445,701
 
Balance at end of period
 
$
1,113,354
   
$
1,108,126
 

19


Our insurance subsidiaries recognized a decrease in their liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years of $15.8 million and $30.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, 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 2023 development represented 2.4% of the December 31, 2022 net carried reserves and resulted from lower-than-expected loss emergence or severity primarily in the commercial automobile, personal automobile and homeowners lines of business. The majority of the 2023 development related to decreases in the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and MICO. The 2022 development represented 4.9% of the December 31, 2021 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from lower-than-expected loss emergence or severity in nearly all lines of business. The majority of the 2022 development related to decreases in the liabilities for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and MICO.



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 nine months ended September 30, 2023.


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 ‘‘a priori,’’ or expected, loss ratio for each line of business our insurance 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 from which the actuaries select loss development factor assumptions. 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.

20

12 -
Allowance for Expected Credit Losses


Held-to-Maturity Fixed-Maturity Securities


The following table presents the balances for fixed maturities classified as held-to-maturity, net of the allowance for expected credit losses, at September 30, 2023 and 2022 and changes in the allowance for expected credit losses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.



 
At and For the Three Months
Ended September 30, 2023
   
At and For the Three Months
Ended September 30, 2022
 
 
Held-to-
Maturity, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
   
Held-to-
Maturity, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
 
 
(in thousands)
 
Balance at beginning of period
 
$
685,402
   
$
1,324
   
$
700,335
   
$
 
Current period change for expected credit losses
           
35
           
 
Balance at end of period
 
$
683,912
   
$
1,359
   
$
696,392
   
$
 


   
At and For the Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2023
   
At and For the Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2022
 
   
Held-to-
Maturity, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
   
Held-to-
Maturity, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Balance at beginning of period
 
$
688,439
   
$
   
$
668,105
   
$
 
Cumulative effect of adoption of updated accounting guidance for credit losses at January 1
           
1,268
             
 
Current period change for expected credit losses
           
91
             
 
Balance at end of period
 
$
683,912
   
$
1,359
   
$
696,392
   
$
 


Reinsurance Receivable


The following table presents the balances for reinsurance receivable, net of the allowance for expected credit losses, at September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the changes in the allowance for expected credit losses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.


 
At and For the Three Months
Ended September 30, 2023
   
At and For the Three Months
Ended September 30, 2022
 
 
Reinsurance
Receivable, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
   
Reinsurance
Receivable, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
 
 
(in thousands)
 
Balance at beginning of period
 
$
460,681
   
$
1,567
   
$
445,151
   
$
 
Current period change for expected credit losses
           
38
             
 
Balance at end of period
 
$
437,889
   
$
1,605
   
$
451,847
   
$
 


21

   
At and For the Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2023
   
At and For the Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2022
 
   
Reinsurance
Receivable, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
   
Reinsurance
Receivable, Net
of Allowance
for Expected
Credit Losses
   
Allowance
for Expected
Credit
Losses
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Balance at beginning of period
 
$
456,522
 
 
$
 
 
$
455,411
 
 
$
 
Cumulative effect of adoption of updated accounting guidance for credit losses at January 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
1,132
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current period change for expected credit losses
 
 
 
 
 
 
473
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance at end of period
 
$
437,889
 
 
$
1,605
 
 
$
451,847
 
 
$
 

13 - 
Impact of New Accounting Standards



In September 2016, the FASB issued guidance that amended 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 delayed 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 were a smaller reporting company at the time this guidance was issued, and our adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2023 resulted in an after-tax decrease in retained earnings of $1.9 million. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our results of operations or cash flows.

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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, 2022.

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 United States generally accepted accounting principles (“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 liability 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.

23

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 and resulted in significant increases in loss costs in subsequent years due to a number of factors, including supply chain disruption, higher used automobile values, lengthening of repair completion times, increases in the cost of replacement automobile parts and rising labor rates. These trend changes give rise to greater uncertainty as to the pattern of future loss settlements. Related uncertainties regarding future trends include social inflation, availability and cost of building materials, availability of skilled labor, 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 liability for unpaid losses and loss expenses will likely differ from the amount recorded at September 30, 2023. At September 30, 2023, 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 $6.8 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 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 liability 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 inflation and increased litigation trends. We have also experienced a general slowing of settlement rates in litigated claims and lengthening of repair completion times for property and automobile 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 liability 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.

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Our insurance subsidiaries’ liabilities for losses and loss expenses by major line of business at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following:
 
   
September 30,
2023
   
December 31,
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Commercial lines:
           
Automobile
 
$
168,342
   
$
174,833
 
Workers’ compensation
   
123,361
     
120,539
 
Commercial multi-peril
   
213,902
     
203,567
 
Other
   
28,022
     
23,071
 
Total commercial lines
   
533,627
     
522,010
 
Personal lines:
               
Automobile
   
108,285
     
108,715
 
Homeowners
   
27,467
     
28,481
 
Other
   
12,583
     
10,656
 
Total personal lines
   
148,335
     
147,852
 
Total commercial and personal lines
   
681,962
     
669,862
 
Plus reinsurance recoverable
   
431,392
     
451,184
 
Total liabilities for losses and loss expenses
 
$
1,113,354
   
$
1,121,046
 
 
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:
 
25

Percentage Change in Loss
and Loss Expense Reserves
Net of Reinsurance
   
Adjusted Loss and Loss
Expense Reserves Net of
Reinsurance at
September 30, 2023
   
Percentage Change
in Stockholders’ Equity at
September 30, 2023(1)
   
Adjusted Loss and Loss
Expense Reserves Net of
Reinsurance at
December 31, 2022
   
Percentage Change
in Stockholders’ Equity at
December 31, 2022(1)
 
(dollars in thousands)
 
 
(10.0
)%
 
$
613,766
     
11.4
%
 
$
602,876
     
10.9
%
 
(7.5
)
   
630,815
     
8.5
     
619,622
     
8.2
 
 
(5.0
)
   
647,864
     
5.7
     
636,369
     
5.5
 
 
(2.5
)
   
664,913
     
2.8
     
653,115
     
2.7
 
Base
     
681,962
     
     
669,862
     
 
 
2.5
     
699,011
     
(2.8
)
   
686,609
     
(2.7
)
 
5.0
     
716,060
     
(5.7
)
   
703,355
     
(5.5
)
 
7.5
     
733,109
     
(8.5
)
   
720,102
     
(8.2
)
 
10.0
     
750,158
     
(11.4
)
   
736,848
     
(10.9
)


(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 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 and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
 
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Three Months Ended September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
   
2023
   
2022
 
   
(in thousands)
 
Net premiums earned
 
$
224,393
   
$
206,122
   
$
655,886
   
$
609,499
 
Change in net unearned premiums
   
(5,207
)
   
107
     
27,117
     
33,618
 
Net premiums written
 
$
219,186
   
$
206,229
   
$
683,003
   
$
643,117
 

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, excluding anticipated salvage and subrogation recoveries, 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.

Combined Ratios

The following table presents comparative details with respect to our GAAP and statutory combined ratios for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:

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Three Months Ended September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
   
2023
   
2022
 
GAAP Combined Ratios (Total Lines)
                       
Loss ratio - core losses
   
56.7
%
   
60.8
%
   
56.0
%
   
58.8
%
Loss ratio - weather-related losses
   
11.5
     
9.4
     
9.1
     
7.7
 
Loss ratio - large fire losses
   
4.9
     
8.4
     
5.3
     
6.6
 
Loss ratio - net prior-year reserve development
   
(3.3
)
   
(3.0
)
   
(2.4
)
   
(5.0
)
Loss ratio
   
69.8
     
75.6
     
68.0
     
68.1
 
Expense ratio
   
34.1
     
33.4
     
34.9
     
34.7
 
Dividend ratio
   
0.6
     
0.6
     
0.6
     
0.7
 
Combined ratio
   
104.5
%
   
109.6
%
   
103.5
%
   
103.5
%
                                 
Statutory Combined Ratios
                               
Commercial lines:
                               
Automobile
   
86.5
%
   
107.0
%
   
94.8
%
   
98.7
%
Workers’ compensation
   
97.7
     
105.9
     
93.1
     
93.9
 
Commercial multi-peril
   
114.8
     
125.0
     
113.8
     
114.9
 
Other
   
76.2
     
85.9
     
82.7
     
81.9
 
Total commercial lines
   
97.5
     
112.1
     
100.2
     
102.4
 
Personal lines:
                               
Automobile
   
109.8
     
103.1
     
106.1
     
100.2
 
Homeowners
   
128.9
     
125.0
     
111.2
     
118.8
 
Other
   
46.4
     
54.6
     
81.3
     
49.9
 
Total personal lines
   
119.4
     
107.8
     
107.2
     
103.4
 
Total commercial and personal lines
   
105.2
     
110.1
     
102.9
     
102.8
 

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Results of Operations - Three Months Ended September 30, 2023 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2022

Net Premiums Earned. Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned for the third quarter of 2023 were $224.4 million, an increase of $18.3 million, or 8.9%, compared to $206.1 million for the third quarter of 2022, primarily reflecting solid premium retention and renewal premium increases.

Net Premiums Written. Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums written for the third quarter of 2023 were $219.2 million, an increase of $13.0 million, or 6.3%, from the $206.2 million of net premiums written for the third quarter of 2022. Commercial lines net premiums written decreased $2.1 million, or 1.8%, for the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022. Personal lines net premiums written increased $15.1 million, or 17.7%, for the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022. We attribute the decrease in commercial lines net premiums written primarily to planned attrition in states we are exiting or have targeted for profit improvement and lower new business writings, offset partially by strong premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation. We attribute the increase in personal lines net premiums written primarily to renewal premium increases and strong policy retention.

Investment Income. Our net investment income was $10.5 million for the third quarter of 2023, an increase of $1.9 million, or 23.0%, compared to $8.6 million for the third quarter of 2022. We attribute the increase primarily to an increase in the average investment yield relative to the third quarter of 2022.

Net Investment Losses. Net investment losses for the third quarters of 2023 and 2022 were $1.2 million and $2.4 million, respectively. The net investment losses for the third quarters of 2023 and 2022, respectively, resulted primarily from the net change in unrealized gains and losses within our equity securities portfolio at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We did not recognize any impairment losses for individual securities in our investment portfolio during the third quarter of 2023 or 2022.

Losses and Loss Expenses. Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 69.8% for the third quarter of 2023, a decrease from our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio of 75.6% for the third quarter of 2022. We attribute this decrease primarily to decreased core losses and large fire losses, which we define as individual fire losses in excess of $50,000, offset partially by increased weather-related losses. Loss ratios for both periods for the automobile and property lines of business reflected the impact of higher costs of labor, parts and materials. Weather-related losses were $25.7 million, or 11.5 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $19.4 million, or 9.4 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the third quarter of 2022. The impact of weather-related loss activity to the loss ratio for the third quarter of 2023 was higher than our previous five-year average of 9.3 percentage points for third quarter weather-related losses and the highest quarterly impact we have experienced over the past five years. Large fire losses for the third quarter of 2023 were $11.0 million, or 4.9 percentage points of the loss ratio, compared to $17.4 million, or 8.4 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the third quarter of 2022. On a statutory basis, our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio was 60.9% for the third quarter of 2023, compared to 74.9% for the third quarter of 2022, primarily due to decreases in the commercial automobile, workers’ compensation and commercial multi-peril loss ratios. The personal lines statutory loss ratio of our insurance subsidiaries increased to 86.8% for the third quarter of 2023, compared to 78.7% for the third quarter of 2022. We attribute this increase primarily to an increase in the personal automobile and homeowners loss ratios. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable loss reserve development for the third quarter of 2023 of approximately $7.3 million that decreased the loss ratio by 3.3 percentage points, compared to $6.2 million that decreased the loss ratio for the third quarter of 2022 by 3.0 percentage points. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable development primarily in the commercial automobile, personal automobile and other commercial lines of business for the third quarter of 2023, with the majority of the impact relating to reserves for accident years 2019 through 2022.

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 third quarter of 2023, compared to 33.4% for the third quarter of 2022. The increase in the expense ratio primarily reflected higher technology costs related to our ongoing systems modernization initiatives for the third quarter of 2023 compared to the prior-year quarter.

29

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 104.5% and 109.6% for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022, respectively. We attribute the decrease in the combined ratio primarily to a decrease in the loss ratio for the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022.

Income Tax Benefit. We recorded an income tax benefit of $199,613 and $3.0 million for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022, respectively. The income tax benefit for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022 represented estimates based on our projected annual taxable income and effective tax rates.

Net Loss and Net Loss Per Share. Our net loss for the third quarter of 2023 was $805,301, or $.02 per share of Class A common stock and $.02 per share of Class B common stock, compared to a net loss of $10.4 million, or $.33 per share of Class A common stock and $.30 per share of Class B common stock, for the third quarter of 2022. We had 27.6 million and 26.8 million Class A shares outstanding at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We had 5.6 million Class B shares outstanding at the end of both periods.

Results of Operations - Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

Net Premiums Earned. Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned for the first nine months of 2023 were $655.9 million, an increase of $46.4 million, or 7.6%, compared to $609.5 million for the first nine months of 2022, primarily reflecting solid premium retention and renewal premium increases.

Net Premiums Written. Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums written for the first nine months of 2023 were $683.0 million, an increase of $39.9 million, or 6.2%, from the $643.1 million of net premiums written for the first nine months of 2022. Commercial lines net premiums written decreased $0.6 million, or 0.2%, for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the first nine months of 2022. Personal lines net premiums written increased $40.5 million, or 17.2%, for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the first nine months of 2022. We attribute the decrease in commercial lines net premiums written primarily to planned attrition in states we are exiting or have targeted for profit improvement, lower new business writings and reinsurance reinstatement premiums on our property excess of loss reinsurance program, offset partially by strong premium retention and a continuation of renewal premium increases in lines other than workers’ compensation. We attribute the increase in personal lines net premiums written primarily to renewal premium increases and strong policy retention.

Investment Income. Our net investment income was $30.1 million for the first nine months of 2023, an increase of $5.5 million, or 22.4%, compared to $24.6 million for the first nine months of 2022. We attribute the increase primarily to an increase in the average investment yield relative to the first nine months of 2022.

Net Investment Gains (Losses). Net investment gains for the first nine months of 2023 were $930,302, compared to net investment losses of $10.8 million for the first nine months of 2022. The net investment gains and losses for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022, respectively, resulted primarily from the net change in unrealized gains and losses within our equity securities portfolio at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We did not recognize any impairment losses for individual securities in our investment portfolio during the first nine months of 2023 or 2022.

30

Losses and Loss Expenses. Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 68.0% for the first nine months of 2023, a modest decrease from our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio of 68.1% for the first nine months of 2022. We attribute this decrease primarily to decreased core losses and large fire losses, virtually offset by increased weather-related losses and a decreased benefit of net favorable development of reserves for losses incurred in prior accident years. Loss ratios for both periods for the automobile and property lines of business reflected the impact of higher costs of labor, parts and materials. Weather-related losses of $59.5 million, or 9.1 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the first nine months of 2023, increased from $47.0 million, or 7.7 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the first nine months of 2022. The impact of weather-related loss activity to the loss ratio for the first nine months of 2023 was higher than our previous five-year average of 7.7 percentage points for weather-related losses incurred in the first nine months. Large fire losses for the first nine months of 2023 were $34.7 million, or 5.3 percentage points of the loss ratio, compared to $40.4 million, or 6.6 percentage points of the loss ratio, for the first nine months of 2022. On a statutory basis, our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio was 63.9% for the first nine months of 2023, compared to 66.1% for the first nine months of 2022, primarily due to decreases in the commercial automobile, workers’ compensation and commercial multi-peril loss ratios. The personal lines statutory loss ratio of our insurance subsidiaries increased to 75.2% for the first nine months of 2023, compared to 72.5% for the first nine months of 2022. We attribute this increase primarily to an increase in the personal automobile loss ratio. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable loss reserve development for the first nine months of 2023 of approximately $15.8 million that decreased the loss ratio by 2.4 percentage points, compared to $30.6 million that decreased the loss ratio for the first nine months of 2022 by 5.0 percentage points. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced favorable development primarily in the commercial automobile, personal automobile and homeowners lines of business for the first nine months of 2023, with the majority of the impact relating to reserves for accident years 2019 through 2022.

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 34.9% for the first nine months of 2023, compared to 34.7% for the first nine months of 2022. The modest increase in the expense ratio primarily reflected higher technology costs related to our ongoing systems modernization initiatives for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the first nine months of 2022.

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 103.5% for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022. The unchanged combined ratio reflected modest decreases in the loss ratio and dividend ratio, offset by a modest increase in the expense ratio for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the first nine months of 2022.

Income Tax Expense (Benefit). We recorded income tax expense of $1.1 million for the first nine months of 2023, representing an effective tax rates of 15.2%. We recorded an income tax benefit of $2.3 million for the first nine months of 2022. The income tax expense and benefit for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022, respectively, represented estimates based on our projected annual taxable income and effective tax rates.

Net Income (Loss) and Net Income (Loss) Per Share. Our net income for the first nine months of 2023 was $6.4 million, or $.20 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $.17 per share of Class B common stock, compared to a net loss of $5.4 million, or $.17 per share of Class A common stock and $.16 per share of Class B common stock, for the first nine months of 2022. We had 27.6 million and 26.8 million Class A shares outstanding at September 30, 2023 and 2022, 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 nine months of 2023 and 2022 of $26.0 million and $49.9 million, respectively.

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At September 30, 2023, 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 an interest rate equal to the then-current Term SOFR rate plus 2.11%. At September 30, 2023, Atlantic States had a $35.0 million outstanding advance with the FHLB of Pittsburgh that carries 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.
 
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 nine months ended September 30, 2023 or 2022. We have purchased a total of 57,658 shares of our Class A common stock under this program from its inception through September 30, 2023.

On October 19, 2023, our board of directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $.17 per share of our Class A common stock and $.1525 per share of our Class B common stock, payable on November 15, 2023 to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 1, 2023. 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, 2022 exceeded the amount of statutory capital and surplus necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements, including the RBC requirements, by a significant margin.  Our insurance subsidiaries paid dividends to us of $6.0 million during the first nine months of 2023. Amounts remaining available for distribution to us as dividends from our insurance subsidiaries without prior approval of their domiciliary insurance regulatory authorities in 2023 are $26.4 million from Atlantic States, $6.5 million from Southern, $0 from Peninsula and $7.5 million from MICO, or a total of approximately $40.4 million.

At September 30, 2023, 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.

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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, 2022 through September 30, 2023.

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 September 30, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on 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.

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Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Donegal Mutual implemented a new application system that Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries began to utilize during 2021 for the allocation of expenses and, beginning in 2022, for reinsurance premiums and commissions. Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries expanded the utilization of this application system in 2023 to include the preparation of financial statements based on SAP state insurance regulators prescribe or permit. The SAP financial statements of our insurance subsidiaries serve as the starting point for our financial statements prepared using GAAP. The new application system provides for further automation of, and enhanced internal controls over, these processes. The implementation of the new system is part of a multi-year accounting systems and process modernization initiative Donegal Mutual is implementing to achieve various benefits for Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries, including streamlined financial reporting workflows and a more efficient control environment.

Such changes resulted in changes to procedures related to our financial reporting. Prior to the implementation of the new systems, we identified and designed new internal controls that we incorporated into our internal controls over financial reporting. Following the implementation, we validated these new controls according to our established processes. We did not implement these changes in internal controls to respond to any actual or perceived significant deficiencies in 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,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate” 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, adverse litigation and other trends that could increase our loss costs (including labor shortages and escalating medical, automobile and property repair costs), adverse and catastrophic weather events (including from changing climate conditions), our ability to maintain profitable operations (including our ability to underwrite risks effectively and charge adequate premium rates), prolonged economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, 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), changes in regulatory requirements, our ability to attract and retain independent insurance agents, changes in our A.M. Best rating and the other risks that we describe from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K that we filed with the SEC on March 6, 2023. There have been no material changes in the risk factors we disclosed in that Form 10-K Report during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

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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
July 1-31, 2023
 
Class A – None
Class B – None
 
Class A – None
Class B – None
 
Class A – None
Class B – None
   
                 
Month #2
August 1-31, 2023
 
Class A – 167,876
Class B – None
 
Class A – $14.76
Class B – None
 
Class A – 167,876
Class B – None
 
(1)
                 
Month #3
September 1-30, 2023
 
Class A – 17,141
Class B – None
 
Class A – $14.66
Class B – None
 
Class A – 17,141
Class B – None
 
(1)
                 
Total
 
Class A – 185,017
Class B – None
 
Class A – $14.76
Class B – None
 
Class A – 185,017
Class B – None
   


(1)
Donegal Mutual purchased these shares pursuant to its announcement on April 29, 2022 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
 
       
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer
Filed herewith
       
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
Filed herewith
       
 
Statement of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of Title 18 of the United States Code
Filed herewith
       
 
Statement of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of Title 18 of the United States Code
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.INS
 
XBRL Instance Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.SCH
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.PRE
 
XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.CAL
 
XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.LAB
 
XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 101.DEF
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
Filed herewith
       
Exhibit 104
 
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
Filed herewith

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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.
     
November 3, 2023
By:
/s/ Kevin G. Burke
   
Kevin G. Burke, President and Chief Executive Officer

November 3, 2023
By:
/s/ Jeffrey D. Miller
   
Jeffrey D. Miller, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


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