EVEREST GROUP, LTD. - Quarter Report: 2020 June (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

_X_ Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020

___ Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Commission file number 1-15731

EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Seon Place – 4th Floor

141 Front Street

PO Box HM 845

HamiltonHM 19, Bermuda

441-295-0006

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,

of registrant’s principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is an emerging growth company and 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).

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD

Table of Contents

Form 10-Q

Page

PART I

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

PART II

OTHER INFORMATION

EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

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EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

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EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF

CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

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EVEREST RE GROUP, LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

For the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 and 2019

1. GENERAL

Everest Re Group, Ltd. (“Group”), a Bermuda company, through its subsidiaries, principally provides reinsurance and insurance in the U.S., Bermuda and international markets. As used in this document, “Company” means Group and its subsidiaries.

2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the results on an interim basis. Certain financial information, which is normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), has been omitted since it is not required for interim reporting purposes. The December 31, 2019 consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 included in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K filing.

The Company consolidates the results of operations and financial position of all voting interest entities ("VOE") in which the Company has a controlling financial interest and all variable interest entities ("VIE") in which the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary. The consolidation assessment, including the determination as to whether an entity qualifies as a VIE or VOE, depends on the facts and circumstance surrounding each entity.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities (and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities) at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Ultimate actual results could differ, possibly materially, from those estimates. This is particularly true given the fluid and continuing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an ongoing event and so is the Company’s evaluation and analysis. While the Company’s analysis considers all aspects of its operations, it does not take into account legal, regulatory or legislative intervention that could retroactively mandate or expand coverage provisions. Given the uncertainties in the current public health and economic environment, there could be an adverse impact on results for the Property & Casualty industry and the Company for the remainder of the year. The impact is dependent on the shape and length of the economic recovery.

With recent changes in executive management and organizational structure, the Company manages its reinsurance and insurance operations as autonomous units and key strategic decisions are based on the aggregate operating results and projections for these segments of business. Accordingly, effective January 1, 2020, the Company revised it reporting segments to Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations. This replaces the previous reported segments of U.S. Reinsurance, International (reinsurance), Bermuda (reinsurance) and Insurance. The prior year presented segment information has been reformatted to reflect this change.

All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

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Certain reclassifications and format changes have been made to prior years’ amounts to conform to the 2020 presentation.

Application of Recently Issued Accounting Standard Changes.

Accounting for Income Taxes. In December 2019, The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2019-12, which provides simplification of existing guidance for income taxes, including the removal of certain exceptions related to recognition of deferred tax liabilities on foreign subsidiaries. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within that annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2019-12 on its financial statements.

Simplification of Disclosure Requirements. In August 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued Final Rule Release #33-10532 (“the Rule”) which addresses the simplification of the SEC’s disclosure requirements for quarterly and annual financial reports. The main changes addressed by the Rule that are applicable to the Company are 1) elimination of the requirement to disclose dividend per share information on the face of the Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) and 2) a new requirement to disclose changes in equity by line item with subtotals for each interim reporting period on the Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity. The Rule became effective for all financial reports filed after November 5, 2018 (30 days after its publication in the Federal Register), except for the additional requirement for the Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity which was to be implemented for first quarter 2019 reporting. The Company has adopted the portions of the Rule that became effective November 5, 2018. The portion of the Rule related to the new requirement for the Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity was adopted by the Company in the first quarter of 2019.

Accounting for Cloud Computing Arrangement. In August 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-15, which outlines accounting for implementation costs of a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract. This guidance requires that implementation costs of a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract must be capitalized and expensed in accordance with the existing provisions provided in Subtopic 350-40 regarding development of internal use software. In addition, any capitalized implementation costs should be amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within that annual reporting period. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2020. The adoption of ASU 2018-15 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Accounting for Long Duration Contracts. In August 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-12, which discusses changes to the recognition, measurement and presentation of long duration contracts. The main provisions of this guidance address the following: 1) In determining liability for future policy benefits, companies must review cash flow assumptions at least annually and the discount rate assumption at each reporting period date 2) Amortization of deferred acquisition costs has been simplified to be in constant level proportion to either premiums, gross profits or gross margins 3) Disaggregated roll forwards of beginning and ending liabilities for future policy benefits are required. The guidance was originally effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within that annual reporting period. However, FASB issued ASU 2019-09 in November 2019 which defers the effective date of ASU 2018-12 until annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2018-12 on its financial statements.

Accounting for Impact on Income Taxes due to Tax Reform. In December 2017, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 118 which provides guidance on the application of FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 740, Income Taxes, due to the enactment of TCJA. SAB 118 became effective upon release. The Company has adopted the provisions of SAB 118 with respect to measuring the tax effects for the modifications to the determination of tax basis loss reserves. In 2018, the Company recorded adjustments to the amount of

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tax expense it recorded in 2017 with respect to the TCJA as estimated amounts were finalized, which did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Amortization of Bond Premium. In March 2017, FASB issued ASU 2017-08 which outlines guidance on the amortization period for premium on callable debt securities. The new guidance requires that the premium on callable debt securities be amortized through the earliest call date rather than through the maturity date of the callable security. The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted the guidance effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2017-08 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Valuation of Financial Instruments. In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13 (and has subsequently issued related guidance and amendments in ASU 2019-11 and ASU 2019-10 in November 2019) which outline guidance on the valuation of and accounting for assets measured at amortized cost and available for sale debt securities. The carrying value of assets measured at amortized cost will now be presented as the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset (amortized cost less an allowance for credit losses valuation account). Available for sale debt securities will now record credit losses through an allowance for credit losses, which will be limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost. The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted the guidance effective January 1, 2020. The adoption resulted in a cumulative reduction of $4,214 thousand in retained earnings, which is disclosed separately within the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity.

Leases. In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02 (and subsequently issued ASU 2018-11 in July, 2018) which outline new guidance on the accounting for leases. The new guidance requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheets for most leases that were previously deemed operating leases and required only lease expense presentation in the statements of operations. The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 effective January 1, 2019 and elected to utilize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings for the year of adoption. Accordingly, the Company’s reporting for the comparative periods prior to adoption continue to be presented in the financial statements in accordance with previous lease accounting guidance. The Company also elected to apply the package of practical expedients applicable to the Company in the updated guidance for transition for leases in effect at adoption. The Company did not elect the hindsight practical expedient to determine the lease term of existing leases (e.g. The Company did not re-assess lease renewals, termination options nor purchase options in determining lease terms). The adoption of the updated guidance resulted in the Company recognizing a right-of-use asset of $69,869 thousand as part of other assets and a lease liability of $77,270 thousand as part of other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet at the time of adoption, as well as de-recognizing the liability for deferred rent that was required under the previous guidance. The cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was zero. The adoption of the updated guidance did not have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations or liquidity.

Any issued guidance and pronouncements, other than those directly referenced above, are deemed by the Company to be either not applicable or immaterial to its financial statements.

3. REVISIONS TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

In preparing third quarter 2019 financial statements, the Company identified errors in the handling of foreign exchange related to premium funds held from reinsureds. Although management determined that the impact of the foreign exchange differences were not material to prior period financial statements, the impact of recording the cumulative difference would have significantly impacted results within the third quarter 2019. As a result, prior period balances have been revised in the applicable financial statements and corresponding footnotes to correct the foreign exchange adjustments.

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Management assessed the materiality of this change within prior period financial statements based upon SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Number 99, Materiality, which is since codified in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections. The prior period comparative financial statements that are presented herein have been revised.

The following tables present line items for prior period financial statements that have been affected by the revision. For these line items, the tables detail the amounts as previously reported, the impact upon those line items due to the revision, and the amounts as currently revised within the financial statements.

4. INVESTMENTS

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 which provides guidance on the accounting for fixed maturity securities. The guidance requires the Company to record allowances for credit losses for

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securities that are deemed to have valuation deterioration due to credit risk issues. The initial table below presents the amortized cost, allowance for credit losses, gross unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) and market value of fixed maturity securities as of June 30, 2020 in accordance with ASU 2016-13 guidance. The second table presents the amortized cost, gross unrealized appreciation/(depreciation), market value and other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) in AOCI as of December 31, 2019, in accordance with previously applicable guidance.