FedNat Holding Co - Quarter Report: 2006 September (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 SEPTEMBER 30, 2006
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 0-2500111
21st
Century
Holding Company
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida
|
65-0248866
|
(State
or Other Jurisdiction of
|
(IRS
Employer
|
Incorporation
or Organization)
|
Identification
Number)
|
3661
West
Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 300, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33311
(Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
954-581-9993
(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such 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
[X]
No [ ]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act
Large
accelerated filer [ ] Accelerated filer [X] Non-accelerated filer [
]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
[ ] No [X]
Indicate
the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common
stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Common
Stock, $.01
par
value
- 7,756,669 outstanding as of November 10, 2006
21ST
CENTURY HOLDING COMPANY
PAGE
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ITEM
3
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ITEM
4
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41
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ITEM
1
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43
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ITEM
1A
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ITEM
2
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43
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ITEM
3
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44
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ITEM
4
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ITEM
5
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ITEM
6
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44
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46
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21ST
CENTURY
HOLDING COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
September
30, 2006
|
December
31, 2005
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Investments
|
|||||||
Fixed
maturities, available for sale, at fair value
|
$
|
95,659,287
|
$
|
69,787,809
|
|||
Fixed
maturities, held to maturity, at amoritized cost
|
19,673,555
|
19,691,937
|
|||||
Equity
securities, available for sale, at fair value
|
13,712,670
|
10,606,663
|
|||||
Total
investments
|
129,045,512
|
100,086,409
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
7,866,388
|
6,071,460
|
|||||
Finance
contracts, net of allowance for credit losses of $139,977 in 2006
and
$419,445 in
|
|||||||
2005,
and net of unearned finance charges of $101,486 in 2006 and $379,212
in
2005
|
2,250,948
|
7,312,736
|
|||||
Prepaid
reinsurance premiums
|
51,529,121
|
12,133,734
|
|||||
Premiums
receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $104,544 and
$158,151,
respectively
|
4,239,736
|
7,505,631
|
|||||
Reinsurance
recoverable, net
|
—
|
136,675,703
|
|||||
Deferred
policy acquisition costs
|
10,788,898
|
9,183,654
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes, net
|
4,734,950
|
2,703,978
|
|||||
Property,
plant and equipment, net
|
1,369,102
|
3,901,385
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
2,885,643
|
4,580,063
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
214,710,298
|
$
|
290,154,753
|
|||
LIABILITIES
AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|||||||
Unpaid
losses and LAE
|
$
|
31,227,291
|
$
|
154,038,543
|
|||
Unearned
premiums
|
72,660,167
|
61,839,051
|
|||||
Due
to reinsurers, net
|
19,008,193
|
—
|
|||||
Premiums
deposits
|
2,714,447
|
2,144,863
|
|||||
Revolving
credit outstanding
|
10,164
|
196,943
|
|||||
Bank
overdraft
|
288,489
|
12,237,735
|
|||||
Funds
held under reinsurance treaties
|
1,547,814
|
1,544,544
|
|||||
Income
taxes payable
|
10,911,600
|
3,019,696
|
|||||
Subordinated
debt
|
5,208,333
|
10,208,333
|
|||||
Deferred
gain from sale of property
|
2,565,500
|
—
|
|||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
2,366,079
|
4,157,675
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
148,508,077
|
249,387,383
|
|||||
Shareholders'
equity:
|
|||||||
Common
stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 37,500,000 shares; issued 8,262,698
and
|
|||||||
7,468,713
shares, respectively; Outstanding 7,564,788 and 6,771,864,
respectively
|
82,627
|
74,688
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
41,612,236
|
31,825,053
|
|||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive (deficit)
|
(938,888
|
)
|
(1,537,243
|
)
|
|||
Retained
earnings
|
25,446,246
|
10,404,872
|
|||||
Total
shareholders' equity
|
66,202,221
|
40,767,370
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders' equity
|
$
|
214,710,298
|
$
|
290,154,753
|
|||
SEE
ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
21ST
CENTURY
HOLDING COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
Three
Months Ended
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
||||||||||||
September
30, 2006
|
September
30, 2005
|
September
30, 2006
|
September
30, 2005
|
||||||||||
Revenue:
|
|||||||||||||
Gross
premiums written
|
$
|
24,669,503
|
$
|
25,355,235
|
$
|
111,031,248
|
$
|
86,815,187
|
|||||
Gross
premiums ceded
|
(57,378,252
|
)
|
(7,188,343
|
)
|
(60,750,033
|
)
|
(12,142,786
|
)
|
|||||
Net
premiums (ceded) written
|
(32,708,749
|
)
|
18,166,892
|
50,281,215
|
74,672,401
|
||||||||
Increase
(Decrease) in prepaid reinsurance premiums
|
42,060,048
|
72,745
|
32,795,387
|
(5,437,633
|
)
|
||||||||
Decrease
(Increase) in unearned premiums
|
12,356,106
|
2,462,575
|
(10,821,117
|
)
|
(7,808,508
|
)
|
|||||||
Net
change in prepaid reinsurance premiums and unearned
premiums
|
54,416,154
|
2,535,320
|
21,974,270
|
(13,246,141
|
)
|
||||||||
Net
premiums earned
|
21,707,405
|
20,702,212
|
72,255,485
|
61,426,260
|
|||||||||
Finance
revenue
|
335,181
|
807,778
|
1,467,324
|
2,849,989
|
|||||||||
Managing
general agent fees
|
483,413
|
558,883
|
1,983,107
|
1,811,576
|
|||||||||
Net
investment income
|
1,572,606
|
972,302
|
4,380,885
|
2,776,098
|
|||||||||
Net
realized investment gains
|
263,072
|
—
|
742,624
|
285,033
|
|||||||||
Other
income
|
408,750
|
614,393
|
1,397,805
|
1,018,774
|
|||||||||
Total
revenue
|
24,770,427
|
23,655,568
|
82,227,230
|
70,167,730
|
|||||||||
Expenses:
|
|||||||||||||
Loss
and loss adjustment expense
|
10,270,956
|
13,275,690
|
27,182,957
|
32,494,462
|
|||||||||
Operating
and underwriting expenses
|
3,779,909
|
1,607,749
|
8,392,485
|
5,396,561
|
|||||||||
Salaries
and wages
|
1,698,993
|
1,600,716
|
5,309,465
|
4,759,417
|
|||||||||
Interest
expense
|
135,168
|
313,962
|
545,455
|
1,123,893
|
|||||||||
Policy
acquisition costs, net of amortization
|
4,998,739
|
3,920,679
|
13,043,776
|
10,968,721
|
|||||||||
Total
expenses
|
20,883,765
|
20,718,796
|
54,474,138
|
54,743,054
|
|||||||||
Income
from continuing operations before provision for income tax expense
|
3,886,662
|
2,936,772
|
27,753,092
|
15,424,676
|
|||||||||
Provision
for income tax expense
|
857,377
|
1,084,054
|
9,805,936
|
5,762,741
|
|||||||||
Net
income from continuing operations
|
3,029,285
|
1,852,718
|
17,947,156
|
9,661,935
|
|||||||||
Discontinued
operations:
|
|||||||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations (including gain on disposal of $0
and
$1,630,000, respectively)
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1,630,000
|
|||||||||
Provision
for income tax expense
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
595,396
|
|||||||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1,034,604
|
|||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
3,029,285
|
$
|
1,852,718
|
$
|
17,947,156
|
$
|
10,696,539
|
|||||
Basic
net income per share from continuing operations
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
0.29
|
$
|
2.41
|
$
|
1.56
|
|||||
Basic
net income per share from discontinued operations
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
0.17
|
|||||
Basic
net income per share
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
0.29
|
$
|
2.41
|
$
|
1.73
|
|||||
Fully
diluted net income per share from continuing operations
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
0.28
|
$
|
2.27
|
$
|
1.48
|
|||||
Fully
diluted net income per share from discontinued operations
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
0.16
|
|||||
Fully
diluted net income per share
|
$
|
0.40
|
$
|
0.28
|
$
|
2.27
|
$
|
1.64
|
|||||
Weighted
average number of common shares outstanding
|
7,560,872
|
6,384,386
|
7,433,953
|
6,189,040
|
|||||||||
Weighted
average number of common shares outstanding (assuming
dilution)
|
7,562,563
|
6,589,257
|
7,912,077
|
6,533,575
|
|||||||||
Dividends
declared per share
|
$
|
0.12
|
$
|
0.08
|
$
|
0.36
|
$
|
0.24
|
|||||
SEE
ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
21ST
CENTURY
HOLDING COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
Nine
months ended September 30
|
|||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||
Cash
flow from operating activities:
|
Restated
-
See
note 10
|
||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
17,947,156
|
$
|
9,661,935
|
|||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
|||||||
Amortization
of investment discount, net
|
(220,787
|
)
|
(167,113
|
)
|
|||
Depreciation
and amortization of property plant and equipment, net
|
250,624
|
345,868
|
|||||
Net
realized investment gains
|
742,624
|
339,267
|
|||||
Gain
on sale of assets
|
(462,796
|
)
|
—
|
||||
Common
Stock issued for interest on Notes
|
128,125
|
315,625
|
|||||
Provision
for credit losses, net
|
118,579
|
455,699
|
|||||
Provision
(recovery) for uncollectible premiums receivable
|
(53,607
|
)
|
(366,824
|
)
|
|||
Non-cash
compensation
|
395,358
|
—
|
|||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|||||||
Premiums
receivable
|
3,319,502
|
205,263
|
|||||
Prepaid
reinsurance premiums
|
(39,395,387
|
)
|
5,437,633
|
||||
Reinsurance
recoverable, net
|
155,683,896
|
4,786,145
|
|||||
Income
taxes recoverable
|
—
|
7,056,250
|
|||||
Deferred
income tax expense
|
(2,030,972
|
)
|
587,906
|
||||
Deferred
gain on sale of assets
|
(2,481,540
|
)
|
—
|
||||
Policy
acquisition costs, net of amortization
|
(1,605,244
|
)
|
(1,550,042
|
)
|
|||
Finance
contracts receivable
|
4,943,209
|
263,514
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
4,259,921
|
(1,651,186
|
)
|
||||
Unpaid
losses and loss adjustment expenses
|
(122,811,252
|
)
|
(10,442,550
|
)
|
|||
Unearned
premiums
|
10,821,116
|
7,808,508
|
|||||
Premium
deposits
|
569,584
|
75,877
|
|||||
Funds
held under reinsurance treaties
|
3,270
|
1,568,872
|
|||||
Income
taxes payable
|
7,891,904
|
—
|
|||||
Bank
overdraft
|
(11,949,246
|
)
|
(11,414,110
|
)
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
(1,791,596
|
)
|
(785,471
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by operating activities - continuing
operations
|
24,272,441
|
12,531,066
|
|||||
Net
cash (used for) operating activities - discontinued
operations
|
—
|
(1,380,265
|
)
|
||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
24,272,441
|
11,150,801
|
|||||
Cash
flow (used in) investing activities:
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sale of investment securities available for sale
|
230,940,088
|
59,047,950
|
|||||
Purchases
of investment securities available for sale
|
(259,822,673
|
)
|
(69,288,240
|
)
|
|||
Receivable
for investments sold
|
—
|
(1,450,000
|
)
|
||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
(381,271
|
)
|
(148,954
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from sale of assets
|
5,607,266
|
—
|
|||||
Net
cash (used in) investing activities - continuing
operations
|
(23,656,590
|
)
|
(11,839,244
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by investing activities - discontinued
operations
|
—
|
1,689,129
|
|||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by investing activities
|
(23,656,590
|
)
|
(10,150,115
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flow provided by (used in) financing activities:
|
|||||||
Subordinated
debt repaid
|
(3,333,334
|
)
|
(3,764,584
|
)
|
|||
Acquisition
of common stock
|
(2,000,880
|
)
|
—
|
||||
Exercised
stock options
|
1,637,259
|
1,698,809
|
|||||
Dividends
paid
|
(2,905,782
|
)
|
(1,526,713
|
)
|
|||
Exercised
warrants
|
7,968,593
|
—
|
|||||
Revolving
credit outstanding
|
(186,779
|
)
|
(2,070,438
|
)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities - continuing
operations
|
1,179,077
|
(5,662,926
|
)
|
||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
1,794,928
|
(4,662,240
|
)
|
||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
6,071,460
|
6,127,706
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
$
|
7,866,388
|
$
|
1,465,466
|
|||
SEE
ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
21ST
CENTURY
HOLDING COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
Nine
months ended September 30
|
|||||||
(continued)
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information:
|
|||||||
Cash
paid during the period for:
|
|||||||
Interest
|
$
|
260,199
|
$
|
499,855
|
|||
Non-cash
investing and finance activities:
|
|||||||
Accrued
dividends payable
|
$
|
991,216
|
$
|
448,195
|
|||
Retirement
of subordinated debt by Common Stock issuance
|
$
|
1,666,667
|
$
|
1,666,667
|
|||
Stock
issued to pay interest on subordinated debt
|
$
|
128,125
|
$
|
315,625
|
|||
SEE
ACCOMPANYING NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(1) |
Organization
and Business
|
The
accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of 21st
Century
Holding Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the
instructions for Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. These financial
statements do not include all information and notes required by GAAP for
complete financial statements, and should be read in conjunction with the
audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the
Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.
The
December 31, 2005 year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial
statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The financial
information furnished reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal
recurring accruals, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for
a
fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash
flows for the periods presented. The results of operations are not necessarily
indicative of the results of operations that may be achieved in the
future.
21st
Century
Holding Company (“21st
Century,” “the Company”, “we,” “us”) is an insurance holding company, which,
through our subsidiaries and our contractual relationships with our independent
agents and general agents, controls substantially all aspects of the insurance
underwriting, distribution and claims process. We are authorized to underwrite
homeowners’ property and casualty insurance, commercial general liability
insurance, and personal automobile insurance in various states with various
lines of authority through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Federated National
Insurance Company (“Federated National”) and American Vehicle Insurance Company
(“American Vehicle”).
Federated
National is authorized to underwrite homeowners’ property and casualty insurance
and personal automobile insurance in Florida as an admitted carrier. American
Vehicle is authorized to underwrite personal automobile insurance and commercial
general liability coverage in Florida as an admitted carrier. In addition,
American Vehicle is authorized to underwrite commercial general liability
insurance in Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri and Arkansas
as a surplus lines carrier and in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama as an admitted
carrier. American Vehicle operations in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas,
South Carolina and Virginia are on-going. American Vehicle operations in Alabama
and Kentucky are expected to begin this year. American Vehicle has a pending
application to be authorized as a surplus lines carrier in the state California.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2006, 72.8%, 22.3% and 4.9% of the premiums
we underwrote were for homeowners’ property and casualty insurance, commercial
general liability insurance and personal automobile insurance, respectively.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2005, 61.4%, 19.6% and 19.0% of
the
premiums we underwrote were for homeowners’ property and casualty insurance,
commercial general liability insurance and personal automobile insurance,
respectively. We internally process claims made by our own and third-party
insureds through our wholly owned claims adjusting company, Superior Adjusting,
Inc. (“Superior”). We also offer premium financing to our own and third-party
insureds through our wholly owned subsidiary, Federated Premium Finance, Inc.
(Federated Premium”).
We
market
and distribute our own and third-party insurers’ products and our other services
primarily in Florida, through contractual relationships with a network of
approximately 1,500 independent agents and a select number of general agents.
Assurance
Managing General Agents, Inc. (“Assurance MGA”), a wholly owned subsidiary, acts
as Federated National’s and American Vehicle’s exclusive managing general agent
in the state of Florida. As American Vehicle continues its expansion into other
states we shall contract with general agents to market our commercial general
liability insurance product beyond the state of Florida. Assurance MGA currently
provides underwriting policy administration, marketing, accounting and financial
services to Federated National and American Vehicle, and participates in the
negotiation of reinsurance contracts. Assurance MGA generates revenue through
a
6% commission fee from the insurance companies’ gross written premium, policy
fee income of $25 per policy and other administrative fees from the marketing
of
company products through the Company’s distribution network. The 6% commission
fee from Federated National and American Vehicle was made effective January
1,
2005. Assurance MGA plans to establish relationships with additional carriers
and add additional insurance products in the future.
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2) |
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices
|
(A) |
Critical
Accounting Policies
|
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates
and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the
financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects
cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination
of
estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results inevitably will
differ from those estimates, and such differences may be material to the
financial statements.
The
most
significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of our financial
statements include estimates associated with management’s evaluation of the
determination of liability for unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense (“LAE”),
and the amount and recoverability of amortization of deferred policy acquisition
costs. In addition, significant estimates form the basis for our reserves with
respect to finance contracts, premiums receivable and deferred income taxes.
Various assumptions and other factors underlie the determination of these
significant estimates.
The
process of determining significant estimates is fact specific and takes into
account factors such as historical experience, current and expected economic
conditions, and in the case of unpaid loss and LAE, an actuarial valuation.
Management regularly reevaluates these significant factors and makes adjustments
where facts and circumstances dictate. In selecting the best estimate, we
utilize up to 6 different actuarial methodologies. Each of these methodologies
is designed to forecast the number of claims we will be called upon to pay
and
the amounts we will pay on average to settle those claims. In arriving at our
best estimate, our actuaries consider the likely predictive value of the various
loss development methodologies employed in light of underwriting practices,
premium rate changes and claim settlement practices that may have occurred,
and
weigh the credibility of each methodology. Our actuarial methodologies take
into
account various factors, including, but not limited to, paid losses, liability
estimates for reported losses, paid allocated loss adjustment expenses, salvage
and other recoveries received, reported claim counts, open claim counts and
counts for claims closed with and without payment of loss.
Accounting
for loss contingencies pursuant to Statements of Financial Accounting Standards
(“SFAS”), No.5 involves the existence of a condition, situation or set of
circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible loss that will ultimately
be
resolved when one or more future event(s) occur or fail to occur. Additionally,
accounting for a loss contingency requires management to assess each event
as
probable, reasonably possible or remote. Probable is defined as the future
event
or events are likely to occur. Reasonably possible is defined as the chance
of
the future event or events occurring is more than remote but less than probable,
while remote is defined as the chance of the future event or events occurring
is
slight. An estimated loss in connection with a loss contingency shall be
recorded by a charge to current operations if both of the following conditions
are met: First, the amount can be reasonably estimated; and second, the
information available prior to issuance of the financial statements indicates
that it is probable that a liability has been incurred at the date of the
financial statements. It is implicit in this condition that it is probable
that
one or more future events will occur confirming the fact of the loss or
incurrence of a liability.
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(B) |
Impact
of New Accounting
Pronouncements
|
In
December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) revised SFAS
No. 123, Share-Based Payments (“SFAS No. 123R”). This statement eliminates the
option to apply the intrinsic value measurement provisions of the Accounting
Principles Board (“APB”) No. 25 to stock compensation awards issued to
employees. Rather, SFAS No. 123R requires companies to measure the cost of
employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based
on the grant date fair value of the award. That cost will be recognized over
the
requisite service period (usually the vesting period) during which an employee
is required to provide services in exchange for the award. SFAS No. 123R also
requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange
for employee stock purchase plan awards. SFAS No. 123R was effective for
21st
Century’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2006 as subsequently extended by the
SEC pursuant to its April 13, 2005 announcement.
We
have
determined that the pretax charge to earnings for the year ending 2006 will
total approximately $0.6 million, of which approximately $0.4 million was
charged to income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes
for the nine months ended September 30, 2006. The effect on earnings per share
for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 for both undiluted and fully
diluted was approximately $0.03 per share. The effect on earnings per share
for
the three months ended September 30, 2006 for both undiluted and fully diluted
was approximately $0.01 per share. For a more detailed discussion, please see
Footnote 8, titled Stock Compensation Plans.
(C) |
Stock
Options
|
At
September 30, 2006, the Company has two stock-based employee compensation plans
and one stock-based franchise compensation plan, which are described later
in
footnote 8, Stock Compensation Plans. Prior to January 1, 2006, we accounted
for
those plans under the recognition and measurement provisions of stock-based
compensation using the intrinsic value method prescribed by APB Opinion No.
25,
Accounting
for Stock Issued to Employees, and
related Interpretations, as permitted by FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation. Under
these provisions, no stock-based employee compensation cost was recognized
in
the Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2005 as all options
granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to or less than the market
value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.
Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted the fair value recognition provisions
of
SFAS No. 123R using the modified-prospective-transition method. Under that
transition method, compensation cost recognized during the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 includes: (a) compensation cost for all share-based payments
granted prior to, but not yet vested as of January 1, 2006, based on the grant
date fair value estimated in accordance with the original provisions of
Statement 123, and (b) compensation cost for all share-based payments granted
subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the grant-date fair-value estimated
in
accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123R. Results for prior periods
have
not been restated.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2006, 41,000 non-qualified and 40,000
qualified stock options were issued with an average option price of $16.40
per
share. Like all other outstanding stock options, these stock options contain
service conditions and do not contain any performance conditions. For a further
discussion regarding the provisions of SFAS No. 123R and its effect on our
operations, please refer to footnote 8, Stock Compensation Plans.
(D) |
Earnings
per Share
|
Basic
earnings per share (“Basic EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the
weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period
presented. Diluted earnings per share (“Diluted EPS”) is computed by dividing
net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock and common
stock equivalents outstanding during the period presented; outstanding warrants
and stock options are considered common stock equivalents and are included
in
the calculation using the treasury stock method. Additionally, when applicable,
we include in our computation of the weighted average number of common shares
outstanding all common stock issued in connection with the repayment of our
Subordinated note.
(E) |
Reclassifications
|
Certain
amounts in 2005 financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the
2006 presentation
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(3) |
Revolving
Credit Outstanding
|
Federated
Premium’s operations are funded by a revolving loan agreement (“Revolving
Agreement”) with FlatIron Funding Company. LLC (“FlatIron”). The Revolving
Agreement is structured as a sale of contracts receivable under a sale and
assignment agreement with Westchester Premium Acceptance Corporation (“WPAC”), a
wholly-owned subsidiary of FlatIron, which gives WPAC the right to sell or
assign these contracts receivable. Federated Premium, which services these
contracts, has recorded transactions under the Revolving Agreement as secured
borrowings.
The
amounts of WPAC’s advances are subject to availability under a borrowing base
calculation, with maximum advances outstanding not to exceed the maximum credit
commitment. The annual interest rate on advances under the Revolving Agreement
equals the prime rate plus additional interest varying from 1.25% to 3.25%
based
on the prior month’s ratio of contracts receivable related to insurance
companies with an A. M. Best rating of B or lower, to total contracts
receivable. The effective interest rate on this line of credit, based on our
average outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Agreement, was 9.78% and
8.22% for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Outstanding
borrowings under the Revolving Agreement as of September 30, 2006 and December
31, 2005 were approximately $10,000 and $197,000, respectively. Interest expense
on this revolving credit line for the nine months ended September 30, 2006
and
2005 totaled approximately $7,600 and $68,600, respectively.
(4) |
Commitments
and Contingencies
|
Management
has a responsibility to continually measure and monitor its commitments and
its
contingencies. The nature of the Company’s commitments and contingencies can be
grouped into three major categories, insured claim activity, assessment related
activities and operational matters.
We
are
involved in claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business.
revisions to our estimates are based on our analysis of subsequent information
that we receive regarding various factors, including: (i) per claim information;
(ii) company and industry historical loss experience; (iii) legislative
enactments, judicial decisions, legal developments in the awarding of damages,
and (iv) trends in general economic conditions, including the effects of
inflation. Management revises its estimates based on the results of its
analysis. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects
of
current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for
estimating the ultimate settlement of all claims. There is no precise method
for
subsequently evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy of
the
reserves, because the eventual redundancy or deficiency is affected by multiple
factors. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters
will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position,
results of operations, or liquidity.
We
operate in a regulatory environment where certain entities and organizations
have the authority to require us to participate in assessments. Currently these
entities and organizations include, but are not limited to, the Florida Joint
Underwriters Association, the Florida Insurance Guarantee Association, Citizens
Property Insurance Company and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophic
Fund.
Both
Federated National and American Vehicle participate in an insurance
apportionment plan under Florida Statutes Section 627.351, which is referred
to
as a Joint Underwriting Plan (“JUA Plan”). The JUA Plan provides for the
equitable apportionment of any profits realized, or losses and expenses
incurred, among participating motor vehicle insurers. In the event of an
underwriting deficit incurred by the JUA Plan, which is not recovered through
the policyholders in the JUA Plan, such deficit shall be recovered from the
companies participating in the JUA Plan in the proportion that the net direct
written premiums of each such member during the preceding calendar year bear
to
the aggregate net direct premiums written in this state by all members of the
JUA Plan. During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, Federated National
and American Vehicle were assessed approximately $111,000 and $2,000,
respectively by the JUA Plan based on their respective Cash Activity Reports.
These assessments are charged to operations as paid. Future assessments by
this
association are undeterminable at this
time.
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
During
its regularly scheduled meeting on August 17, 2005, the Board of Governors
of
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”) determined a 2004 plan year
deficit existed in their High Risk Account. Citizen’s Board decided that a $515
million Regular Assessment was in the best interest of Citizens and consistent
with Florida Statutes. On this basis, Citizen’s Board certified for a Regular
Assessment. Federated National’s participation in this assessment totaled $2.0
million. Provisions contained in our excess of loss reinsurance policies for
this period provided for their participation totaling $1.5 million. Pursuant
to
Section 627.3512, Florida Statutes, insurers are permitted to recoup the
assessment by adding a surcharge to policies in an amount not to exceed the
amount paid by the insurer to Citizens. Federated National is currently
underwriting the recoupment in connection with this assessment which began
in
March 2006. As noted above, Federated National is entitled to recoup this
assessment, and subrogated $1.5 million to our reinsurers. Through September
30,
2006 Federated National has recouped approximately $1.5 million in connection
with this assessment. No charge to operations was recorded in connection with
this assessment.
During
a
regularly scheduled meeting on September 14, 2006, the Citizens Board determined
a 2005 plan year deficit existed in their High Risk Account. Citizen’s Board
decided that a $163 million Regular Assessment was in the best interest of
Citizens and consistent with Florida Statutes. On this basis, Citizen’s Board
has applied to the OIR for a Regular Assessment. There are no participation
provisions in our excess of loss reinsurance policies covering any potential
assessment however Federated National has currently qualified for limited
apportionment status which in effect greatly limits our exposure to an
assessment in connection with the 2005 plan year deficit. Our estimation of
the
Citizens 2005 plan year deficit is between zero and approximately $324,000.
Accordingly, Federated National has not recognized a liability in connection
with this assessment. Although not yet formally certified by the OIR we
anticipate that the OIR will. Future assessments by Citizens are undeterminable
at this time.
As
a
direct premium writer in the state of Florida, we are required to participate
in
an insurer solvency association under Florida Statutes 631.57(3) (a) by
way of
the Florida Insurance Guarantee Association (“FIGA”). Participation in this pool
is based on our written premium by line of business to total premiums written
statewide by all insurers. Our participation has resulted in an assessment
due
to the insolvency of other property and casualty insurance carriers in
the state
of Florida. The assessment was approximately 2% of our 2005 net written
premium
In Florida and totaled $1.2 million, net of $0.7 million taxes, and was
charged
to operations during the quarter ended September 30, 2006. Approval by
Florida’s
Office of Insurance Regulation (“OIR”) to recoup the assessment through a 0.9%
policy surcharge to all Federated National homeowner policies issued in
Florida
for new and renewal business is pending. Already approved by the OIR is our
assessment, through a 1.3% policy surcharge, to all American Vehicle general
liability policies issued in Florida with effective dates of August 15,
2006 for
new business and October 15, 2006 for renewal business. As of September
30, 2006
approximately $10,000 has been recouped in connection with this assessment.
The
OIR
issued OIR-06-008M dated May 4, 2006 to all property and casualty, surplus
lines
insurers, and surplus lines agents in the state of Florida placing them on
notice of an anticipated Florida Hurricane Catastrophic Fund (“FHCF”)
assessment. Sighting the unprecedented hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005,
the
FHCF has exhausted nearly all of the $6 billion in reserves it had accumulated
since its inception in 1993. The Florida State Board of Administration, the
body
that oversees the FHCF, has issued its directive to levy an emergency assessment
upon all property and casualty business in the state of Florida. There is no
statutory requirement that policyholders be notified of the FCHF assessment.
The
FHCF and OIR are, however, recommending that insurers include the FHCF
assessment in a line item on the declaration page for two reasons: (1) this
is a
multi-year assessment and (2) there may be concurrent assessments and the
insureds should know what amount is for which assessment. The assessment will
become effective on all policies effective after January 1, 2007 and will be
remitted to the administrator of the assessment as collected and therefore
accounted for in a manner such that amounts collected or receivable are not
recorded as revenues and amounts due or paid are not expensed.
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
Relative
to the Company’s commitments stemming from operational matters, effective on or
about March 1, 2006, 21st
Century
sold its interest in the Lauderdale Lakes property to an unrelated party. As
part of this transaction, 21st
Century
has agreed to lease the same facilities for a six year term. Our lease for
this
office space expires in December 2011.
The
expected future lease payouts in connection with this lease are as
follows:
Fiscal
Year
|
Lease
payments
|
|||
2006
|
$
|
139,396
|
||
2007
|
557,583
|
|||
2008
|
557,583
|
|||
2009
|
557,583
|
|||
2010
|
557,583
|
|||
Thereafter
|
557,583
|
|||
Total
|
$
|
2,927,311
|
(5) |
Comprehensive
Income
|
For
the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, comprehensive income
consisted of the following:
Three
months ended
September
30,
|
Nine
months ended
September
30,
|
||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
3,029,285
|
$
|
1,852,718
|
$
|
17,947,156
|
$
|
10,696,539
|
|||||
Change
in net unrealized gains on investments available for sale
|
1,312,936
|
(860,601
|
)
|
959,364
|
(1,139,339
|
)
|
|||||||
Comprehensive
income, before tax
|
4,342,221
|
992,117
|
18,906,520
|
9,557,200
|
|||||||||
Income
tax (expense) benefit related to items of other comprehensive
income
|
(494,058
|
)
|
321,308
|
(361,009
|
)
|
433,672
|
|||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$
|
3,848,163
|
$
|
1,313,425
|
$
|
18,545,511
|
$
|
9,990,872
|
(6) |
Segment
Information
|
FASB
Statement No. 131, Disclosures About Segments of an Enterprise and Related
Information, requires that the amount reported for each segment item be based
on
what is used by the chief operating decision maker in formulating a
determination as to how many resources to assign to a segment and how to
appraise the performance of that segment. The term chief operating decision
maker may apply to the chief executive officer or chief operating officer or
to
a group of executives. Note: The term of chief operating decision maker may
apply to a function and not necessarily to a specific person. This is a
management approach rather than an industry approach in identifying segments.
The segments are based on the Company’s organizational structure, revenue
sources, nature of activities, existence of responsible managers, and
information presented to the Board of Directors.
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
If
any
one of the following exists, a segment must be reported on:
· |
Revenue,
including unaffiliated and inter-segment sales or transfers, is 10%
or
more of total revenue of all operating
segments.
|
·
|
Operating
profit or loss is 10% or more of the greater, in absolute amount,
of the
combined operating profit (or loss) of all industry segments with
operating profits (or losses).
|
·
|
Identifiable
assets are 10% or more of total assets of all operating
segments.
|
Operating
segments that are not reportable should be combined and disclosed in the ‘‘all
other’’ category. Disclosure should be made of the sources of revenue for these
segments.
Accordingly,
we have discontinued our segment disclosures due to the finance segment not
exceeding the 10% threshold for revenues, earnings or assets.
(7) |
Reinsurance
Agreements
|
We
follow
industry practice of reinsuring a portion of our risks and paying for that
protection based primarily upon total insured values of all policies in effect
and subject to such reinsurance. Reinsurance involves an insurance company
transferring “or “ceding” all or a portion of its exposure on insurance
underwritten by it to another insurer, known as a “reinsurer.” The ceding of
insurance does not legally discharge the insurer from its primary liability
for
the full amount of the policies. If the reinsurer fails to meet its obligations
under the reinsurance agreement, the ceding company is still required to pay
the
insured for the loss.
For
the
2006-2007 hurricane season, we have assembled a range of reinsurance products
designed to insure the Company for an aggregate of approximately $414.5 million
for a minimum of two catastrophic events. The reinsurance treaties contain
several complex features and through a series of fluid retentions, attachment
points and limitations, additional coverage may be afforded Federated National
for events beyond the first two catastrophic events. Our retention will vary
depending on the severity and frequency of each catastrophic event. The
reinsurance companies and their respective participation in this season's
program are noted in the table as follows:
First
Event Participation
|
Reinstated
Premium Protection
|
||||||||||||||||||
Current
AM Best Rating
|
Reinsurer
|
$20m
in excess of $15m
|
$40m
in excess of $35m
|
$72m
in excess of $75m and FHCF participation
|
$20m
in excess of $15m
|
$40m
in excess of $35m
|
|||||||||||||
A+
|
Ace
Temlpest Reinsurance Ltd
|
7.5
|
%
|
7.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||
A
|
Amlin
2001 Syndicate
|
5.0
|
%
|
5.0
|
%
|
5.0
|
%
|
5.0
|
%
|
||||||||||
A-
|
Amlin
Bermuda Ltd
|
2.5
|
%
|
4.0
|
%
|
4.0
|
%
|
2.5
|
%
|
||||||||||
A
|
American
Reinsurance Company
|
3.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
A
|
Ascot
1414 Syndicate
|
6.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
A++
|
National
Liability and Fire Company
|
33.8
|
%
|
6.6
|
%
|
77.6
|
%
|
||||||||||||
B++
|
Converium
AG
|
5.0
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
A+
|
Everest
Reinsurance Company
|
22.0
|
%
|
4.3
|
%
|
12.0
|
%
|
||||||||||||
NR
|
Wentworth
Insurance Company Ltd
|
5.0
|
%
|
.
|
5.0
|
%
|
|||||||||||||
A-
|
Flagstone
Reinsurance Ltd
|
4.3
|
%
|
4.0
|
%
|
||||||||||||||
A
|
MAP
2791 Syndicate
|
2.5
|
%
|
2.5
|
%
|
2.5
|
%
|
2.5
|
%
|
||||||||||
A-
|
New
Castle Reinsurance Company Ltd
|
2.0
|
%
|
2.0
|
%
|
2.0
|
%
|
2.0
|
%
|
||||||||||
A
|
QBE
Reinsurance Corporation
|
|
1.5
|
%
|
1.0
|
%
|
|||||||||||||
A
|
Renaissance
Reinsurance, Ltd
|
12.5
|
%
|
12.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||
A+
|
XL
Re Limited
|
2.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
A
|
Odyssey
|
3.5
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
A
|
Catlin
Insurance Company Ltd
|
25.0
|
%
|
25.0
|
%
|
||||||||||||||
NR
|
Allianz
Risk Transfer (Bermuda) Ltd
|
33.0
|
%
|
33.0
|
%
|
||||||||||||||
A
|
Liberty
Mutual Insurance Company
|
34.7
|
%
|
||||||||||||||||
NR4
|
American
Vehicle Insurance Company (Affiliated)
|
|
25.0
|
%
|
25.0
|
%
|
In
the
discussion that follows it should be noted that all amounts of reinsurance
are
based on management’s current analysis of Federated National’s exposure levels
to catastrophic risk. Our data will be subjected to exposure
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
level
data analysis at various dates through December 31, 2006. This analysis of
our
exposure level in relation to the total exposures to the FHCF may produce
changes in retentions, limits and reinsurance premiums as a result of increases
or decreases in our exposure level.
Our
overall reinsurance structure may be divided into four major layers of financial
impact in connection with any single catastrophic event. The bottom layer is
considered to be the first $15 million of losses. The next layer is considered
to be greater than $15 million and less than $35 million. The next layer is
considered to be greater than $35 million and less than $233.3 million. The
fourth layer is considered to be losses greater than $233.3 million and less
than 305.3 million.
For
the
first and second catastrophic events equal to or less than $15 million, the
bottom layer, Federated National will retain 100% of the first $4.3 million
and
the last $0.7 million of this bottom layer. The FHCF will participate 100%
for
the $10 million in excess of Federated National’s first $4.3 million.
For
the
first and second catastrophic events with aggregate losses in excess of the
first $15.0 million discussed above and less than $35 million, Federated
National has acquired 100% reinsurance protection with a single automatic
premium reinstatement protection provision. The $20 million of coverage afforded
in this layer is by way of 42% traditional, single season, excess of loss
(“Traditional”) treaties and 58% structured multi-year, excess of loss
(“Structured”) treaties. As noted in the chart above, American Vehicle will
reinsure Federated National via a traditional treaty for 25% of this $20 million
layer. Relative to the structured excess of loss reinsurance treaties, terms
contained in these treaties afford capacity in this layer beyond the 2006 -
2007
season for two additional hurricane seasons. The structured treaties offer
respective coverage for a single event in each of the three hurricane seasons
and one additional respective coverage that may be applied as needed in any
one
of the three hurricane seasons. One of the structured treaties, representing
25%
of this layer, contains a provision which prevents the Company from recovery
if
any single event results in damages that exceed $20 billion in the Unites States
and its territories.
For
the
first and second catastrophic events where aggregate losses exceed $35 million,
but are less than $233.3 million, Federated National has acquired 100%
reinsurance protection through a combination of private market reinsurers and
the FHCF program. The private market reinsurers have afforded coverage to insure
us for $40 million against covered losses in excess of $35 million. The FHCF
has
afforded coverage to insure us for 90% of loss greater than $55.6 million and
less than $231.5 million. The private treaties “wrap around” the FHCF treaty and
afford coverage, in aggregate, for losses in excess of $35 million and less
than
$233.3 million. The FHCF treaty is an aggregate “for the entire season” treaty
while the private market treaties afford respective per event coverage. As
to
reinstatement of coverage for the private market treaties, Federated National
has purchased a single automatic premium reinstatement protection provision
that
would provide for an automatic reinstatement for 89% of the $40 million
coverage. Federated National would be responsible for the remaining premium
reinstatement protection and the cost in connection with that reinstatement
is
estimated to be approximately $2.1 million. Federated National would also be
responsible for seasonal losses beyond what is afforded through this part of
the
FHCF coverage.
For
an
event where aggregate losses exceed $233.3 million, but are less than $305.3
million, Federated National has acquired traditional reinsurance treaties
representing 65.3% of this layer without a provision for premium reinstatement
protection. Premium reinstatement coverage would be prorated as to amount and
if
the first event exhausted this coverage then Federated National would be
responsible for approximately $10.4 million for reinstatement protection.
Additional coverage is afforded to Federated National via Industry Loss Warrants
(“ILW”). The ILW policies provide for payments to Federated National based
solely on industry wide losses to private and commercial property only in the
State of Florida, not-withstanding losses incurred directly by Federated
National. A payment to Federated National would only be considered, under the
terms of these contracts, if insured wind damages incurred in the State of
Florida exceeded amounts varying between $25 billion and $20 billion excluding
public property and certain other named exclusions.
The
Company is responsible for single catastrophic events with incurred losses
in
excess of approximately $305 million subject to the terms of the ILW’s
above.
The
estimated cost to the Company in connection with this reinsurance structure
is
approximately $65 million, which is for the most part payable in quarterly
installments that began July 1, 2006 and are being amortized
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
through
earned premium in accordance with the provisions and terms contained in the
respective treaties.
For
the
2005-2006 hurricane season, the excess of loss treaties insured us for
approximately $64.0 million, with the Company retaining the first $3.0 million
of loss and LAE. The treaties had one full reinstatement provision for each
excess layer with 100% additional premium as to time and pro rata as to amount.
In addition, we purchased, from the private sector, Reinstatement Premium
Protection which would reimburse the Company 100% of the cost of reinstatement
for the second event. Unused coverage from the first two events carried forward
to events beyond the second, in conjunction with a lowered attachment point
(as
explained below) afforded by the FHCF.
In
addition to the excess of loss reinsurance policies (described above), we
participated in the FHCF to protect our interest in the insurable risks
associated with our homeowner and mobile home owner insurance products. For
the
first two events, FHCF coverage began after the Company’s retention of $3.0
million and its excess of loss reinsures retention of approximately $40.3
million.
As
a
result of the loss and LAE incurred in connection with the hurricane activity
that occurred in 2004 and 2005, the Company has reflected in its operations
the
effects of each storm as follows:
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2004
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Charley
(August 13)
|
2,572
|
$
|
63.3
|
$
|
53.3
|
$
|
10.0
|
||||||
Frances
(September 3)
|
3,811
|
51.5
|
41.5
|
10.0
|
|||||||||
Ivan
(September 14)
|
1,063
|
25.9
|
—
|
25.9
|
|||||||||
Jeanne
(September 25)
|
1,564
|
13.4
|
—
|
13.4
|
|||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
9,010
|
$
|
154.1
|
$
|
94.8
|
$
|
59.3
|
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2005
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Dennis
(July 10)
|
324
|
$
|
2.7
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
2.7
|
||||||
Katrina
(August 25)
|
2,116
|
13.0
|
10.0
|
3.0
|
|||||||||
Rita
(September 20)
|
19
|
0.1
|
—
|
0.1
|
|||||||||
Wilma
(October 24)
|
11,458
|
154.5
|
151.5
|
3.0
|
|||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
13,917
|
$
|
170.3
|
$
|
161.5
|
$
|
8.8
|
We
are
selective in choosing a reinsurer and consider numerous factors, the most
important of which are the financial stability of the reinsurer, their history
of responding to claims and their overall reputation. In an effort to minimize
our exposure to the insolvency of a reinsurer, we evaluate the acceptability
and
review the financial condition of the reinsurer at least annually.
During
2005 American Vehicle did not reinsure any of its insurance products.
(8) |
Stock
Compensation Plans
|
We
implemented a stock option plan in November 1998 that provides for the granting
of stock options to officers, directors, employees and consultants. The
objectives of this plan include attracting and retaining the best personnel,
providing for additional performance incentives, and promoting our success
by
providing employees the
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
opportunity
to acquire common stock. Options outstanding under this plan have been granted
at prices which are either equal to or above the market value of the stock
on
the date of grant, vest over a four-year period, and expire ten years after
the
grant date. Under this plan, we are authorized to grant options to purchase
up
to 900,000 common shares, and, as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005,
we had outstanding exercisable options to purchase 45,500 and 97,650 shares,
respectively.
In
2001,
we implemented a franchise stock option plan that provides for the granting
of
stock options to individuals purchasing Company owned agencies which were then
converted to franchised agencies. The purpose of the plan was to advance our
interests by providing an additional incentive to encourage managers of Company
owned agencies to purchase the agencies and convert them to franchises. Options
outstanding under the plan have been granted at prices which are above the
market value of the stock on the date of grant and expire ten years after the
grant date. Under this plan, we are authorized to grant options to purchase
up
to 988,500 common shares, though in connection with our sale of our franchise
operations, we do not anticipate additional options to be granted under this
plan. As of September 30, 2006 we had no outstanding exercisable options to
purchase. As of December 31, 2005, we had 15,000 outstanding exercisable options
to purchase.
In
2002,
we implemented the 2002 Option Plan. The purpose of this Plan is to advance
our
interests by providing an additional incentive to attract, retain and motivate
highly qualified and competent persons who are key to the Company, including
employees, consultants, independent contractors, and officers and directors,
upon whose efforts and judgment our success is largely dependent, by authorizing
the grant of options to purchase Common Stock to persons who are eligible to
participate hereunder, thereby encouraging stock ownership by such persons,
all
upon and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. Options outstanding
under the plan have been granted at prices which are above the market value
of
the stock on the date of grant, vest over a five-year period, and expire six
years after the grant date. Under this plan, the Company is authorized to grant
options to purchase up to 1,800,000 common shares, and, as of September 30,
2006
and December 31, 2005, we had outstanding exercisable options to purchase
727,508 and 823,608 shares, respectively.
Activity
in the Company’s stock option plans for the period from January 1, 2005 to
September 30, 2006, is summarized below:
1998
Plan
|
2001
Franchisee Plan
|
2002
Plan
|
|||||||||||||||||
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
||||||||||||||
Outstanding
at January 1, 2005
|
198,275
|
$
|
6.67
|
15,000
|
$
|
9.17
|
906,300
|
$
|
10.80
|
||||||||||
Granted
|
—
|
—
|
451,500
|
$
|
14.39
|
||||||||||||||
Exercised
|
(96,875
|
)
|
$
|
6.67
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
(271,542
|
)
|
$
|
8.96
|
||||||||
Cancelled
|
(3,750
|
)
|
$
|
6.67
|
—
|
(262,650
|
)
|
$
|
14.00
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
at January 1, 2006
|
97,650
|
$
|
6.67
|
15,000
|
$
|
9.17
|
823,608
|
$
|
12.35
|
||||||||||
Granted
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
81,000
|
$
|
16.40
|
||||||||||
Exercised
|
(52,150
|
)
|
$
|
6.67
|
(15,000
|
)
|
$
|
9.17
|
(121,200
|
)
|
$
|
9.21
|
|||||||
Cancelled
|
—
|
$
|
6.67
|
—
|
(55,900
|
)
|
$
|
14.87
|
|||||||||||
Outstanding
at September 30, 2006
|
45,500
|
$
|
6.67
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
727,508
|
$
|
13.13
|
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
Options
outstanding as of September 30, 2006 are exercisable as follows:
1998
Plan
|
2001
Franchisee Plan
|
2002
Plan
|
|||||||||||||||||
Options
Exercisable at:
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average Option Exercise Price
|
|||||||||||||
September
30, 2006
|
45,500
|
$
|
6.67
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
297,458
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||
December
31, 2006
|
—
|
—
|
47,800
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||||||
December
31, 2007
|
—
|
—
|
126,650
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||||||
December
31, 2008
|
—
|
—
|
95,000
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||||||
December
31, 2009
|
—
|
—
|
83,600
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||||||
December
31, 2010
|
—
|
—
|
61,300
|
$
|
9.21
|
||||||||||||||
Thereafter
|
—
|
—
|
15,700
|
||||||||||||||||
Total
options exercisible
|
45,500
|
—
|
727,508
|
At
September 30, 2006, the Company has two stock-based employee compensation plans
and one stock-based franchise compensation plan, which are described above.
Prior to January 1, 2006, we accounted for those plans under the recognition
and
measurement provisions of stock-based compensation using the intrinsic value
method prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting
for Stock Issued to Employees, and
related Interpretations, as permitted by FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation. Under
these provisions, no stock-based employee compensation cost was recognized
in
the Statement of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2005 or 2004 as
all
options granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to or less than
the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted the fair value recognitions provisions
of
FASB Statement No. 123R using the modified-prospective-transition method. Under
that transition method, compensation cost recognized during the nine months
ended September 30, 2006 includes:
·
|
Compensation
cost for all share-based payments granted prior to, but not yet vested
as
of January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value estimated
in
accordance with the original provisions of Statement 123, and
|
·
|
Compensation
cost for all share-based payments granted subsequent to January 1,
2006,
based on the grant-date fair-value estimated in accordance with the
provisions of SFAS No. 123R. Results for prior periods have not been
restated.
|
As
a
result of adopting SFAS No. 123R on January 1, 2006, the Company’s income from
continuing operations before provision for income taxes and net income for
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, are lower by approximately $395,000 and
$245,000, respectively, than if it had continued to account for share-base
compensation under ABP Opinion No. 25. For the three months ended September
30,
2006, income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and
net income are lower by approximately $115,000 and $70,000, respectively, than
if it had continued to account for share-base compensation under ABP Opinion
No.
25.
Basic
and
diluted earnings per share for the nine month period ended September 30, 2006
would have been $2.45 and $2.30, respectively, if the Company had not adopted
SFAS No. 123R, compared to reported basic and diluted earnings per share of
$2.41 and $2.27, respectively.
Basic
and
diluted earnings per share for the three month period ended September 30, 2006
would have been $0.41 and $0.41, respectively, if the Company had not adopted
SFAS No. 123R, compared to reported basic and diluted earnings per share of
$0.40 and $0.40, respectively.
Because
the change in income taxes payable includes the effect of excess tax benefits,
those excess tax benefits also must be shown as a separate operating cash
outflow so that operating cash flows exclude the effect of excess tax benefits.
SFAS No. 123R requires the cash flows resulting from the tax benefits resulting
from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for those
options (excess tax benefits) to be classified as financing cash
flows.
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
The
following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share
if
the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of Statement
123
to options granted under our stock option plans in the period presented. For
purposes of this provision disclosure and comparability, the value of the
options were estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and
amortized to expense over the options vesting periods.
Three
months ended
|
Nine
months ended
|
||||||
September
30, 2005
|
September
30, 2005
|
||||||
Net
Income as reported
|
$
|
1,852,718
|
$
|
10,696,539
|
|||
Compensation,
net of tax effect
|
132,308
|
932,007
|
|||||
Pro
forma net income
|
$
|
1,720,410
|
$
|
9,764,532
|
|||
Net
income per share
|
|||||||
As
reported - Basic
|
$
|
0.29
|
$
|
1.73
|
|||
As
reported - Diluted
|
$
|
0.28
|
$
|
1.64
|
|||
Pro
forma - Basic
|
$
|
0.27
|
$
|
1.58
|
|||
Pro
forma - Diluted
|
$
|
0.26
|
$
|
1.49
|
|||
The
weighted average fair value for the 32,500 new options granted during the three
months ended September 30, 2006 and the 48,500 new options granted during the
three months ended June 30, 2006, estimated on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model was $4.31 and $4.67, respectively. There
were
no new options granted during the quarter ending March 31, 2006.
The
weighted average fair value for new options granted during the nine months
ended
September 30, 2005, estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model was $5.07. The fair value range of new options granted
using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model during the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 and during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 is from
$3.62 to $5.02 and $2.81 to $10.75, respectively.
The
fair
value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the following
assumptions:
September
30, 2006
|
September
30, 2005
|
|||
Dividend
yield
|
2.10%
to 3.70%
|
2.33%
to 2.43%
|
||
Expected
volatility
|
43.06%
to 44.30%
|
49.85%
to 96.76%
|
||
Risk-free
interest rate
|
4.60%
to 4.90%
|
3.34%
to 4.17%
|
||
Expected
life (in years)
|
2.04
to 2.86
|
2.56
to 2.63
|
||
In
connection with the sale of Express Tax Service, Inc. and EXPRESSTAX Franchise
Corporation on January 1, 2005, 105,000 Incentive Stock Options under the 2002
Stock Option plan were cancelled and reissued as Non-Qualified Stock
Options.
Volatility
of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates
of return on the share over a specified period of time. The higher the
volatility, the more returns on the shares can be expected to vary - up or
down.
The expected volatility is a measure of the amount by which a financial variable
such as a share price has fluctuated (historical volatility) or is expected
to
fluctuate (expected volatility) during a period. Our volatility as reflected
above contemplates only historical volatility.
Summary
information about the Company’s stock options outstanding at September 30,
2006:
Range
of Exercise
Price |
Outstanding
at September
30, 2006 |
Weighted
Average Contractual |
Weighted Average |
Exercisable
at September
30, 2006 |
||||||||||||
1998
Plan
|
$
|
6.67
|
45,500
|
2.52
|
$
|
6.67
|
45,500
|
|||||||||
2001
Franchise Plan
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||||||
2002
Plan
|
$
|
8.33
- $18.21
|
727,508
|
2.77
|
$
|
13.13
|
297,458
|
-18-
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(9) |
Subordinated
Debt
|
On
July
31, 2003, we completed a private placement of our 6% Senior Subordinated Notes
(the “July 2003 Notes”), which were offered and sold to accredited investors as
units consisting of one July 2003 Note with a principal amount of $1,000 and
warrants (the “2003 Warrants”) to purchase shares of our Common Stock. We sold
an aggregate of $7.5 million of July 2003 Notes in this placement, which
resulted in proceeds to us (net of placement agent fees of $450,724 and offering
expenses of $110,778) of $6,938,498.
The
July
2003 Notes paid interest at the annual rate of 6%, were subordinated to senior
debt of the Company, and matured on July 31, 2006. Quarterly payments of
principal and interest due on the July 2003 Notes were made in cash or, at
our
option, in shares of our Common Stock. When paid in shares of Common Stock,
the
number of shares issued was determined by dividing the payment due by 95% of
the
weighted-average volume price for the Common Stock on Nasdaq as reported by
Bloomberg for the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the payment
date.
The
2003
Warrants issued in this placement to the purchasers of the July 2003 Notes
and
to the placement agent in the offering, J. Giordano Securities Group (“J.
Giordano”), each entitled the holder to purchase ¾ of one share of our Common
Stock at an exercise price of $12.744 per whole share (as adjusted for the
Company’s three-for-two stock split) until July 31, 2006. The total number of
shares issuable upon exercise of 2003 Warrants issued to the purchasers of
the
July 2003 Notes and to J. Giordano totaled 612,074. GAAP required that
detachable warrants be valued separately from debt and included in paid-in
capital. Based on the terms of the purchase agreement with the investors
in the private placement, management determined that the July 2003 Warrants
had
zero value at the date of issuance.
On
July
31, 2006, we made the final principal payment of $625,000 on the July 2003
notes
and the July 2003 warrants expired. Of the 612,074 shares that could have been
issued in connection with the July 2003 warrants, 301,430 were exercised,
225,000 were reacquired in the open market by us and 85,644 were unexercised.
The unexercised warrants were cancelled as of July 31, 2006.
On
September 30, 2004, we completed a private placement of 6% Senior Subordinated
Notes due September 30, 2007 (the “September 2004 Notes”). These notes were
offered and sold to accredited investors as units consisting of one September
2004 Note with a principal amount of $1,000 and
warrants to purchase shares of our Common Stock (the “2004 Warrants”), the terms
of which are similar to our July 2003 Notes and 2003 Warrants, except as
described below.
We sold
an aggregate of $12.5 million of units in this placement, which resulted in
proceeds (net of placement agent fees of $700,000 and offering expenses of
$32,500) to us of $11,767,500.
The
September 2004 Notes pay interest at the annual rate of 6%, mature on September
30, 2007, and rank pari passu in terms of payment and priority to the July
2003
Notes. Quarterly payments of principal and interest due on the September 2004
Notes, like the July 2003 Notes, may be made in cash or, at our option, in
shares of our Common Stock. If paid in shares of Common Stock, the number of
shares to be issued shall be determined by dividing the payment due by 95%
of
the weighted-average volume price for the Common Stock on Nasdaq as reported
by
Bloomberg for the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the payment
date.
The
2004
Warrants issued to the purchasers of the September 2004 Notes and to the
placement agent in the offering, J. Giordano, each entitle the holder to
purchase one share of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $12.75 per share
and will be
exercisable until September 30, 2007. The
number of shares issuable upon exercise of
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
the
2004
Warrants issued to purchasers equaled $12.5 million divided by the exercise
price of the warrants, and totaled 980,392. The number of shares issuable upon
exercise of the 2004 Warrants issued to J. Giordano equaled $500,000 divided
by
the exercise price of the warrants, and totaled 39,216. GAAP requires that
detachable warrants be valued separately from debt and included in paid-in
capital. Based on the terms of the purchase agreement with the investors in
the
private placement, management determined that the September 2004 Warrants had
zero value at the date of issuance. Of the 1,019,000 warrants issued in
connection with the September 2004 notes, 623,299 have been exercised to
date.
The
terms
of the 2004 and 2003 Warrants provide for adjustment of the exercise price
and
the number of shares issuable thereunder upon the occurrence of certain events
typical for private offerings of this type.
As
indicated on the table below, we paid, pursuant to the terms of the July 2003
Notes and in accordance with the contractual computations, the quarterly
payments of principal and interest due in shares of our Common
Stock.
Quarterly
payment due date
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||
January
31,
|
—
|
55,537
|
|||||
April
30,
|
38,420
|
—
|
|||||
July
31,
|
—
|
—
|
|||||
October
31,
|
n/a
|
—
|
|||||
Total
common stock issued
|
38,420
|
55,537
|
|||||
As
indicated on the table below, we paid, pursuant to the terms of the September
2004 Notes and in accordance with the contractual computations, the quarterly
payments of principal and interest due in shares of our Common
Stock.
Quarterly
payment due date
|
2006
|
2005
|
|||||
January
31,
|
—
|
103,870
|
|||||
April
30,
|
68,696
|
—
|
|||||
July
31,
|
—
|
—
|
|||||
October
31,
|
—
|
—
|
|||||
Total
common stock issued
|
68,696
|
103,870
|
|||||
The
Company retains the privilege of repaying these notes in cash or by the issuance
of common stock. Through the quarter ended March 31, 2005, we made our quarterly
installment payments by issuing common stock. Our regularly scheduled payments
of principal and interest in connection with the July 2003 and September 2004
Notes due on April 30, 2006 were paid by issuance of 38,420 shares and 68,696
shares of our Common Stock, respectively. Our regularly scheduled payments
of
principal and interest in connection with the July 2003 and September 2004
Notes
due on July 31, 2006 and October 31, 2006 were paid in cash.
For
the
July 2003 Notes, the quarterly principal and interest payments totaling
approximately $0.6 million per payment were due quarterly with the last
installment paid in cash on July 31, 2006.
For
the
September 2004 Notes, the quarterly principal and interest payments, totaling
approximately $1.1 million per payment, are due quarterly for two more years
with the last installment due on September 30, 2007. The scheduled loan payments
for the next two years are as follows:
For
the period
|
||||
Year
ending December 31, 2006
|
$
|
1,041,667
|
||
Year
ending December 31, 2007
|
4,166,666
|
|||
Total
|
$
|
5,208,333
|
21st
Century Holding Company
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(10) |
Discontinued
Operations
|
In
2005
the Company has separately disclosed the operating, investing and financing
portions of the cash flows attributable to its discontinued operations, which
in
prior periods were reported on a combined basis with its continuing
operations.
The
Company completed the transaction contemplated by the Stock Purchase and
Redemption Agreement dated January 3, 2005 with Express Tax Service, Inc.
(“Express Tax”), Robert J. Kluba and Robert H. Taylor. The Company was the
beneficial and record owner of 80% of the issued and outstanding stock of
Express Tax, which in turn owned 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of
EXPRESSTAX Franchise Corporation (“EXPRESSTAX”). Mr. Kluba was the President and
a director of Express Tax and EXPRESSTAX, and the owner of the remaining 20%
of
the issued and outstanding stock of Express Tax. The sale of the assets closed
on January 13, 2005 with an effective date of January 1, 2005.
The
Company received at closing a cash payment of $311,351, which reflected the
purchase price of $660,000 for all of the Company’s common stock in Express Tax,
less $348,649 representing intercompany receivables owed to Express Tax by
the
Company. The Company also received a payment of $1,200,000 in exchange for
the
Company’s agreement not to compete with the current business of Express Tax and
EXPRESSTAX for five years following the closing. The Company’s investment in its
subsidiary totaled $230,000.
In
connection with the transaction, the Company extended the expiration dates
for
the 75,000 outstanding stock options previously granted to Mr. Kluba and the
30,000 outstanding stock options previously granted to Mr. Kluba’s wife. No
options remain outstanding under this arrangement.
General
information about 21st
Century Holding Company can be found at www.21stcenturyholding.com
however, the information that can be accessed through our web site is not part
of our report. We make our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on
Form
10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or
furnished pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act
of
1934 available free of charge on our web site, as soon as reasonably practicable
after they are electronically filed with the SEC.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Forward-Looking
Statements
Statements
in this report or in documents that are incorporated by reference that are
not
historical fact are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain
risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ
materially from those discussed herein. Without limiting the generality of
the
foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,”
“intend,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” or “continue” or the negative other
variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, uncertainties related to estimates, assumptions and projections
relating to losses from the nine hurricanes that occurred in fiscal years 2005
and 2004 and other estimates, assumptions and projections contained in this
10-Q; inflation and other changes in economic conditions (including changes
in
interest rates and financial markets); pricing competition and other initiatives
by competitors; ability to obtain regulatory approval for requested rate changes
and the timing thereof; legislative and regulatory developments; the outcome
of
litigation pending against us, including the terms of any settlements; risks
related to the nature of our business; dependence on investment income and
the
composition of our investment portfolio; the adequacy of our liability for
loss
and loss adjustment expense; insurance agents; claims experience; ratings by
industry services; catastrophe losses; reliance on key personnel; weather
conditions (including the severity and frequency of storms, hurricanes,
tornadoes and hail); changes in driving patterns and loss trends; acts of war
and terrorist activities; court decisions and trends in litigation and health
care and auto repair costs; and other matters described from time to time by
us
in this report, and our other filings with the SEC.
You
are
cautioned not to place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
are
valid only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation
to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information
or
the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise. In addition, readers should
be aware that GAAP prescribes when a company may reserve for particular risks,
including litigation exposures. Accordingly, results for a given reporting
period could be significantly affected if and when a reserve is established
for
a major contingency. Reported results may therefore appear to be volatile in
certain accounting periods.
Overview
The
insurance industry uses terminology that is unfamiliar to many people. The
Company has denoted certain terms in the footnotes to its consolidated financial
statements beginning on page seven. It may be helpful for you to refer to these
definitions as you read this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
We
are an
insurance holding company, which, through our subsidiaries and our contractual
relationships with our independent agents and general agents, control
substantially all aspects of the insurance underwriting, distribution and claims
process. We are authorized to underwrite homeowners’ property and casualty
insurance, commercial general liability insurance, and personal automobile
insurance, in various states with various lines of authority through our wholly
owned subsidiaries, Federated National and American Vehicle. We internally
process claims made by our own insureds through our wholly owned claims
adjusting company, Superior.
Federated
National is authorized to underwrite homeowners’ property and casualty insurance
and personal automobile insurance in Florida as an admitted carrier. American
Vehicle is authorized to underwrite personal automobile insurance and commercial
general liability coverage in Florida as an admitted carrier. In addition,
American Vehicle is authorized to underwrite commercial general liability
insurance in Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri and Arkansas
as a surplus lines carrier and in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama as an admitted
carrier. American Vehicle operations in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas,
South Carolina and Virginia are on-going. American Vehicle operations in Alabama
and Kentucky are expected to begin this year. American Vehicle has a pending
application to be authorized as a surplus lines carrier in the state of
California.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2006, 72.8%, 22.3% and 4.9% of the premiums
we underwrote were for homeowners’ property and casualty insurance, commercial
general liability insurance and personal automobile insurance, respectively.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2005, 61.5%, 19.5% and 19.0% of
the
premiums we underwrote were for homeowners’ property and casualty insurance,
commercial general liability insurance and personal automobile insurance,
respectively. We internally process claims made by our own and third-party
insureds through our wholly owned claims adjusting company, Superior. We also
offer premium financing to our own and third-party insureds through our wholly
owned subsidiary, Federated Premium.
We
market
and distribute our own and third-party insurers’ products and our other services
primarily in Florida, through contractual relationships with a network of
approximately 1,500 independent agents and a select number of general agents.
Assurance
MGA, a wholly owned subsidiary, acts as Federated National’s and American
Vehicle’s exclusive managing general agent. Assurance MGA currently provides
underwriting policy administration, marketing, accounting and financial services
to Federated National and American Vehicle, and participates in the negotiation
of reinsurance contracts. Assurance MGA generates revenue through a 6%
commission fee from the insurance companies’ gross written premium, policy fee
income of $25 per policy and other administrative fees from the marketing of
companies’ products through the Company’s distribution network. The 6%
commission fee from Federated National and American Vehicle was made effective
January 1, 2005. Assurance MGA plans to establish relationships with additional
carriers and add additional insurance products in the future.
Our
business, results of operations and financial condition are subject to
fluctuations due to a variety of factors. Abnormally high severity or frequency
of claims in any period could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition. Also, if our estimated
liabilities for unpaid losses and LAE are less than actual losses and LAE,
we
will be required to increase reserves with a corresponding reduction in our
net
income in the period in which the deficiency is identified.
We
operate in highly competitive markets and face competition from both national
and regional insurance companies, many of whom are larger and have greater
financial and other resources, have better A.M. Best ratings and offer more
diversified insurance coverage. Our competitors include companies which market
their products through agents, as well as companies which sell insurance
directly to their customers. Large national writers may have certain competitive
advantages over agency writers, including increased name recognition, increased
loyalty of their customer base and reduced policy acquisition costs. We may
also
face competition from new or temporary entrants in our niche markets. In some
cases, such entrants may, because of inexperience, desire for new business
or
other reasons, price their insurance below ours. Although our pricing is
inevitably influenced to some degree by that of our competitors, we believe
that
it is generally not in our best interest to compete solely on price. We compete
on the basis of underwriting criteria, our distribution network and superior
service to our agents and insureds.
In
Florida, more than 200 companies are authorized to underwrite homeowners’
insurance. Comparable companies which compete with us in the homeowners’ market
include Allstate Insurance Company, State Farm Insurance Company, First
Floridian Insurance Company, and Vanguard Insurance Company. During the nine
months ended September 30, 2006 the Florida OIR announced the take over of
three
of our major competitors due to the poor financial condition stemming from
the
effects of last year’s catastrophic hurricanes. We have experienced an increase
in policy volume relative to our homeowners’ insurance products due to the
narrowed competition.
Comparable
companies which compete with us in the general liability insurance market
include Century Surety Insurance Company, Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company,
Colony Insurance Company and Burlington/First Financial Insurance
Companies.
With
respect to automobile insurance in Florida, we compete with more than 100
companies, which underwrite personal automobile insurance. Comparable companies
which compete with us in the personal automobile insurance market include
Affirmative Insurance Holdings, Inc., which acquired our non-standard automobile
agency business in Florida in December 2004, U.S. Security Insurance Company,
United Automobile Insurance Company, Direct General Insurance Company and
Security National Insurance Company, as well as major insurers such as
Progressive Casualty Insurance Company.
Competition
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and
financial condition.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Our
executive offices are located at 3661 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 300,
Lauderdale Lakes, Florida and our telephone number is (954)
581-9993.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates
and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the
financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects
cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination
of
estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results inevitably will
differ from those estimates, and such differences may be material to the
financial statements.
The
most
significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of our financial
statements include estimates associated with our evaluation of the determination
of liability for unpaid losses and LAE. In addition, significant estimates
form
the basis for our reserves with respect to finance contracts, premiums
receivable, deferred income taxes, deferred acquisition costs and loss
contingencies. Various assumptions and other factors underlie the determination
of these significant estimates. The process of determining significant estimates
is fact specific and takes into account factors such as historical experience,
as well as current and expected economic conditions. We periodically re-evaluate
these significant factors and make adjustments where facts and circumstances
dictate.
The
determination of liability for unpaid losses and LAE is dependent upon the
various complex actuarial methods and different underlying assumptions utilized
by our actuaries to produce a number of point estimates for each class of
business. After reviewing the appropriateness of the underlying assumptions,
management selects the carried reserve for each class of business. We do not
calculate a range of loss reserve estimates. Ranges are not a true reflection
of
the potential volatility between carried loss reserves and the ultimate
settlement amount of losses incurred prior to the balance sheet date. This
is
due to the fact that ranges are developed based on known events as of the
valuation date whereas the ultimate disposition of losses is subject to the
outcome of events and circumstances that were unknown as of the valuation
date.
Among
the
numerous factors that contribute to the inherent uncertainty in the process
of
establishing loss reserves are the following:
·
|
Changes
in the market and inflation rate for goods and services related to
covered
damages such as medical care and home repair
costs,
|
·
|
Changes
in the judicial environment regarding the interpretation of policy
provisions relating to the determination of
coverage,
|
·
|
Changes
in the general attitude of juries in the determination of liability
and
damages,
|
·
|
Legislative
actions,
|
·
|
Changes
in our estimates of the number and/or severity of claims that have
been
incurred but not reported as of the date of the financial
statements,
|
·
|
Changes
in our underwriting standards, and
|
·
|
Any
changes in our claim handling
procedures.
|
We
establish and evaluate unpaid loss reserves using recognized standard
statistical loss development methods and techniques. Each component of loss
reserves is affected by the expected frequency and average severity of claims.
Such amounts are analyzed using statistical techniques on historical claims
data
and adjusted when appropriate to reflect perceived changes in loss patterns.
Data is analyzed by policy coverage, jurisdiction of loss, reporting date and
occurrence date, among other factors.
Average
reserve amounts are established for automobile claims prior to the development
of an individual case reserve. Average reserve amounts are driven by the
estimated average severity per claim and the number of new claims
opened.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
For
other
than automobile lines, claims adjusters generally establish individual claim
case loss and LAE reserve estimates as soon as the specific facts and merits
of
each claim can be evaluated. Case reserves represent the amounts, which in
the
judgment of the adjusters, are reasonably expected to be paid in the future
to
completely settle the claim, including expenses. Individual case reserves are
revised as more information becomes known.
For
unreported claims, incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserve estimates are
calculated by first projecting the ultimate number of claims expected (reported
and unreported) for each significant coverage by using historical quarterly
and
monthly claim counts, to develop age-to-age projections of the ultimate counts
by accident quarter. Reported claims are subtracted from the ultimate claim
projections to produce an estimate of the number of unreported claims. The
number of unreported claims is multiplied by an estimate of the average cost
per
unreported claim to produce the IBNR reserve amount. Actuarial techniques are
difficult to apply reliably in certain situations, such as to new legal
precedents, class action suits, long-term claimants from personal injury
protection coverage or recent catastrophes. Consequently, supplemental IBNR
reserves for these types of events may be established.
New
Accounting Pronouncements
The
material set forth in Item 1, Part I, “Financial Statements - Note 2 - Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices” of this Form 10-Q is
incorporated herein by reference.
At
September 30, 2006, the Company has two stock-based employee compensation plans
and one stock-based franchise compensation plan, which are described in Item
1,
Part I, “Financial Statements - Note 8 - Stock Compensation Plans” of this Form
10-Q. Prior to January 1, 2006, we accounted for those plans under the
recognition and measurement provisions of stock-based compensation using the
intrinsic value method prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting
for Stock Issued to Employees, and
related Interpretations, as permitted by FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation. Under
these provisions, no stock-based employee compensation cost was recognized
in
the Statement of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2005 or 2004 as
all
options granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to or greater
than
the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.
Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted the fair value recognitions provisions
of
FASB Statement No. 123 (R) using the modified-prospective-transition method.
Under that transition method, compensation cost recognized for the nine months
and three months ending September 30, 2006 include: (a) compensation cost for
all share-based payments granted prior to, but not yet vested as of January
1,
2006, based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the
original provisions of Statement 123, totaling approximately $377,600 and
$103,600, respectively and (b) compensation cost for all share-based payments
granted subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the grant-date fair-value
estimated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 123R; and totaling
approximately $17,400 and $11,400, respectively. Results for prior periods
have
not been restated and there were no cumulative adjustments recorded in the
September 30, 2006 Statement of Operations as a result of the adoption of FASB
Statement 123 (R).
As
a
result of adopting SFAS No. 123R on January 1, 2006, the Company’s income from
continuing operations before provision for income taxes and net income for
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, are lower by approximately $395,000 and
$245,000, respectively, than if it had continued to account for share-base
compensation under ABP Opinion No. 25. For the three months ended September
30,
2006, income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and
net income are lower by approximately $115,000 and $70,000, respectively, than
if it had continued to account for share-base compensation under ABP Opinion
No.
25.
Basic
and
diluted earnings per share for the nine month period ended September 30, 2006
would have been $2.45 and $2.30, respectively, if the Company had not adopted
SFAS No. 123R, compared to reported basic and diluted earnings per share of
$2.41 and $2.27, respectively.
Basic
and
diluted earnings per share for the three month period ended September 30, 2006
would have been $0.41 and $0.41, respectively, if the Company had not adopted
SFAS No. 123R, compared to reported basic and diluted earnings per share of
$0.40 and $0.40, respectively.
Our
estimate for compensation cost related to non-vested awards not yet recognized
as of January 1, 2006 total approximately $1.7 million and the weighted average
period over which it is expected to be recognized ranges between 2.6 and 2.82
years.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
The
weighted average fair value for the 32,500 new options granted during the three
months ended September 30, 2006 and the 48,500 new options granted during the
three months ended June 30, 2006, estimated on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model was $4.31 and $4.67, respectively. There
were
no new options granted during the quarter ending March 31, 2006.
The
weighted average fair value for new options granted during the nine months
ended
September 30, 2005, estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model was $5.07. The fair value range of new options granted
using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model during the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 and during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 is from
$3.62 to $5.02 and $2.81 to $10.75, respectively.
The
fair
value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the following
assumptions:
September
30, 2006
|
September
30, 2005
|
|||
Dividend
yield
|
2.10%
to 3.70%
|
2.33%
to 2.43%
|
||
Expected
volatility
|
43.06%
to 44.30%
|
49.85%
to 96.76%
|
||
Risk-free
interest rate
|
4.60%
to 4.90%
|
3.34%
to 4.17%
|
||
Expected
life (in years)
|
2.04
to 2.86
|
2.56
to 2.63
|
||
Volatility
of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates
of return on the share over a specified period of time. The higher the
volatility, the more the returns on the shares can be expected to vary - up
or
down. The expected volatility is a measure of the amount by which a financial
variable such as a share price has fluctuated (historical volatility) or is
expected to fluctuate (expected volatility) during a period. Our volatility
as
reflected above contemplates only historical volatility.
There
were no changes in the quantity or type of instruments used in the share-based
payment programs, such as a shift from share options to restricted shares.
Additionally, there were no changes in the terms of the share-based payment
arrangements, such as the addition of performance conditions.
On
December 5, 2005, our Board of Directors granted a modification to the
outstanding share-based stock options prior to the adoption of SFAS 123 (R).
The
modification provided that the grant price for 92,000 outstanding share-based
stock options under the 2002 Stock Option Plan (both vested and unvested) be
re-priced from $20.00 per share as originally issued to a new grant price of
$16.00 per share. All other features of the stock options were unchanged. At
the
close of business on the date of the modification the Company’s common stock
traded at $14.35 per share. The effect of the modification to these stock
options was reflected in the pro forma disclosure for the period ended December
31, 2005. The reason for the re-price was to reinstate the desired motivational
effect and provide a refreshed incentive to the holders of those stock
options.
Analysis
of Financial Condition
As
of September 30, 2006 as Compared to December 31, 2005
Total
Investments
SFAS
No.
115 addresses accounting and reporting for (a) investments in equity securities
that have readily determinable fair values and (b) all investments in debt
securities. SFAS 115 requires that these securities be classified into one
of
three categories, Held-to-maturity, Trading securities or Available-for-sale.
Investments
classified as held-to-maturity include debt securities wherein the Company’s
intent and ability are to hold the investment until maturity. The accounting
treatment for held-to-maturity investments is to carry them at amortized cost
without consideration to unrealized gains or losses. Investments classified
as
trading securities include debt and equity securities bought and held primarily
for the sale in the near term. The accounting treatment for trading securities
is to carry them at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses included
in current period operations. Investments classified as available-for-sale
include debt and equity securities that are not classified as held-to-maturity
or as trading security investments. The accounting treatment for
available-for-sale securities is to carry them at fair value with unrealized
holding gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate
component of shareholders’ equity, namely “Other Comprehensive
Income”.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Total
Investments increased $29.0 million, or 28.9%, to $129.0 million as of September
30, 2006, as compared to $100.1 million as of December 31, 2005. The increase
is
primarily a result of our investment of the proceeds from an increase in written
insurance premiums.
The
fixed
maturities and the equity securities that are available for sale and carried
at
fair value represent 84.8% of total investments as of September 30, 2006, as
compared to 80.3% as of December 31, 2005.
We
did
not hold any non-traded investment securities during 2006 or 2005.
Below
is
a summary of net unrealized gains and (losses) at September 30, 2006 and
December 31, 2005 by category.
Unrealized
Gains and (Losses)
|
|||||||
September
30, 2006
|
December
31, 2005
|
||||||
Fixed
maturities:
|
|||||||
U.S.
government obligations and agency obligations
|
$
|
(678,091
|
)
|
$
|
(618,703
|
)
|
|
Obligations
of states and political subdivisions
|
(130,626
|
)
|
(135,305
|
)
|
|||
(808,717
|
)
|
(754,008
|
)
|
||||
Corporate
securities:
|
|||||||
Communications
|
9,225
|
14,735
|
|||||
Financial
|
(21,105
|
)
|
(225,768
|
)
|
|||
Other
|
(39,418
|
)
|
(19,681
|
)
|
|||
(51,298
|
)
|
(230,714
|
)
|
||||
Equity
securities:
|
|||||||
Common
stocks
|
(645,337
|
)
|
(1,479,994
|
)
|
|||
Total
unrealized gains and (losses), net
|
$
|
(1,505,352
|
)
|
$
|
(2,464,716
|
)
|
|
During
December 2005, we classified $19.7 million of our bond portfolio as
held-to-maturity. The decision to classify this layer of our bond portfolio
as
held-to-maturity was predicated on our intention to establish an irrevocable
letter of credit in order to facilitate business opportunities in connection
with our commercial general liability program. During April 2006, American
Vehicle finalized the irrevocable letter of credit in conjunction with the
100%
Quota Share Reinsurance Agreement with Republic Underwriters Insurance Company.
Pursuant
to FASB 115, the Company records the unrealized losses, net of estimated income
taxes that are associated with that part of our portfolio classified as
available for sale through the Shareholders' equity account titled Other
Comprehensive Income. Management periodically reviews the individual investments
that comprise our portfolio in order to determine whether a decline in fair
value below our cost is either other than temporary or permanently impaired.
Factors used in such consideration include, but are not limited to, the extent
and length of time over which the market value has been less than cost, the
financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer and our ability and
intent to keep the investment for a period sufficient to allow for an
anticipated recovery in market value.
In
reaching a conclusion that a security is either other than temporary or
permanently impaired we consider such factors as the timeliness and completeness
of expected dividends, principle and interest payments, ratings from nationally
recognized statistical rating organizations such as Standard and Poor’s and
Moody’s as well as information released via the general media
channels.
The
investments held at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were comprised
mainly of United States government and agency bonds as well as municipal bonds
which are viewed by the Company as conservative
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
and
less
risky holdings, though sensitive to interest rate changes. There is a smaller
concentration of corporate bonds predominantly held in the financial and
conglomerate industries. Approximately two-thirds of the equity holdings are
in
income funds while the other third is invested in equities related to the
mortgage investment industry and business service industry.
All
of
our securities are in good standing and are not impaired as defined by FASB
115.
We have determined that none of our securities qualify for other than temporary
impairment or permanent impairment status. Our rational for this determination
includes, but is not limited to Standard and Poor’s rating of no less than BB++,
no delinquent interest and dividend payments, near term maturity dates and
our
ability and intent to hold these securities for a period sufficient to allow
for
an anticipated recovery in market value.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
Cash
and
cash equivalents, which include cash, certificates of deposits, and money market
accounts increased $1.8 million, or 29.6%, to $7.9 million as of September
30,
2006, as compared to $6.1 million as of December 31, 2005. These balances are
held primarily in money market accounts and are available for the settlement
of
hurricanes related claims.
Finance
Contracts Receivable, Net of Allowance for Credit Losses
Finance
contracts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses, decreased $5.1
million, or 69.2%, to $2.3 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared to
$7.3
million as of December 31, 2005. The decrease is primarily due to our sale
in
December 2004 of our assets related to our non-standard automobile insurance
agency business in Florida and the associated financed contracts. We anticipate
a continued decline in the financed contracts receivable, net over the future
short term and its related conversion to cash, cash equivalents and
investments.
Prepaid
Reinsurance Premiums
Prepaid
reinsurance premiums increased $39.4 million, or 324.7%, to $51.5 million as
of
September 30, 2006, as compared to $12.1 million as of December 31, 2005. The
increase is due to our payments and amortization of prepaid reinsurance premiums
associated with our homeowners’ book of business.
Premiums
Receivable, Net of Allowance for Credit Losses
Premiums
receivable, net of allowance for credit losses, decreased $3.3 million, or
43.5%, to $4.2 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared to $7.5 million
as
of December 31, 2005.
Our
homeowners’ insurance premiums receivable decreased $1.7 million, or 89.2%, to
$0.2 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.9 million as of
December 31, 2005. The decrease can be attributed to the seasonality of the
purchasing patterns of our policy holders.
Our
commercial general liability insurance premiums receivable increased $0.9
million, or 38.1%, to $3.1 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared to
$2.3
million as of December 31, 2005.
Premiums
receivable in connection with our automobile line of business decreased $2.4
million, or 58.0%, to $1.8 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared to
$4.2
million as of December 31, 2005. The decrease in automobile related premiums
receivable is associated with the sale of our distribution channels in
connection with the sale of our agencies, effective December 31, 2004.
Reinsurance
Recoverable
Reinsurance
recoverable decreased to nothing as of September 30, 2006, as compared to $136.7
million as of December 31, 2005. The decrease is due to the timing of
settlements with our reinsurers in connection with the adjustment of loss and
LAE claims as they relate to costs recoverable under our reinsurance
agreements.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Deferred
Policy Acquisition Costs
Deferred
policy acquisition costs increased $1.6 million, or 17.5%, to $10.8 million
as
of September 30, 2006, as compared to $9.2 million as of December 31, 2005.
The
increased production volume for both the homeowners’ and commercial general
liability product lines is the reason for the increase to this
asset.
Deferred
Income Taxes, net
Deferred
income taxes, net, increased $2.0 million, or 75.1%, to $4.7 million as of
September 30, 2006, as compared to $2.7 million as of December 31, 2005. The
increase is comprised primarily of $1.5 million related to discounted unearned
premiums and $0.9 million in connection with the sale of our property in
Lauderdale Lakes and $0.7 million related to FIGA assessments, offset by $0.6
million associated with deferred policy acquisition costs and $0.4 million
related to our investments portfolio.
Property,
Plant and Equipment, net
Property,
plant and equipment, net, decreased $2.5 million, or 64.9%, to $1.4 million
as
of September 30, 2006, as compared to $3.9 million as of December 31, 2005.
Effective on or about March 1, 2006, 21st
Century
sold its interest in the Lauderdale Lakes property to an unrelated party for
approximately $5.0 million cash and a $0.9 million six year 5% note, generating
a gain on sale totaling approximately $2.9 million. As part of the transaction,
21st
Century
has agreed to lease the same facilities for a six year term. Our lease for
this
office space expires in February 2011. The Company recognized a deferred gain
in
connection with the sale totaling approximately $2.8 million.
Other
Assets
Other
assets decreased $1.7 million, or 26.0%, to $2.9 million as of September 30,
2006, as compared to $4.6 million as of December 31, 2005. Major components
of
other assets are as follows:
September
30, 2006
|
December
31, 2005
|
||||||
Accrued
interest income
|
$
|
1,003,657
|
$
|
734,059
|
|||
Notes
receivable
|
900,521
|
—
|
|||||
Unamortized
loan costs
|
103,701
|
310,832
|
|||||
Compensating
cash balances
|
9,911
|
363,021
|
|||||
Due
from sale of discontinued operations, net
|
—
|
410,000
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses
|
278,554
|
349,138
|
|||||
Recoupment
of assessments
|
485,731
|
2,025,210
|
|||||
Other
|
103,568
|
387,803
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
2,885,643
|
$
|
4,580,063
|
|||
Unpaid
Losses and LAE
Unpaid
losses and LAE decreased $122.8 million, or 79.7%, to $31.2 million as of
September 30, 2006, as compared to $154.0 million as of December 31, 2005.
The
decrease in unpaid losses and LAE relates to our payment patterns primarily
relative to the settling of hurricane related claims. The composition of unpaid
loss and LAE by product line is as follows:
September
30, 2006
|
December
31, 2005
|
||||||
Homeowners'
|
$
|
18,104,629
|
$
|
135,173,026
|
|||
Commercial
general liability
|
4,901,418
|
3,661,256
|
|||||
Automobile
|
8,221,244
|
15,204,261
|
|||||
$
|
31,227,291
|
$
|
154,038,543
|
||||
Factors
that affect unpaid losses and LAE include the estimates made on a claim-by-claim
basis known as “case reserves” coupled with bulk estimates known as IBNR.
Periodic estimates by management of the ultimate costs required to settle all
claim files are based on the Company’s analysis of historical data and
estimations of the impact of numerous factors such as (i) per claim information;
(ii) company and industry historical loss experience; (iii) legislative
enactments, judicial decisions, legal developments in the awarding of damages,
and changes in political
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
attitudes;
and (iv) trends in general economic conditions, including the effects of
inflation. Management revises its estimates based on the results of its
analysis. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects
of
current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for
estimating the ultimate settlement of all claims. There is no precise method
for
subsequently evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy of
the
reserves, because the eventual redundancy or deficiency is affected by multiple
factors.
Unearned
Premium
Unearned
premiums increased $10.8 million, or 17.5%, to $72.7 million as of September
30,
2006, as compared to $61.8 million as of December 31, 2005. The increase was
due
to a $12.2 million increase in unearned homeowners’ insurance premiums, a $4.6
million increase in unearned commercial general liability premiums, and a $6.0
million decrease in unearned automobile premiums. These changes reflect our
continued emphasis in 2006 on property and commercial general liability
insurance products.
Due
to Reinsurers, net
Due
to
reinsurers, net increased to $19.0 million as of September 30, 2006, as compared
to nothing as of December 31, 2005 at which time the company had an asset,
Reinsurance recoverable, net.
Premium
Deposits
Premium
deposits increased $0.6 million, or 26.6%, to $2.7 million as of September
30,
2006, as compared to $2.1 million as of December 31, 2005. Premium deposits
are
monies received on policies not yet in force as of September 30, 2006. The
change is due to our policyholders purchasing patterns, the Company’s marketing
efforts and our policies renewal patterns.
Revolving
Credit Outstanding
Revolving
credit outstanding decreased to nearly nothing as of September 30, 2006, as
compared to $0.2 million as of December 31, 2005. The decrease is due to our
cash management efforts, our requested credit reduction, and sale in December
2004 of our assets related to our non-standard automobile insurance agency
business in Florida and the derived finance contracts receivable.
Bank
Overdraft
Bank
overdraft decreased $11.9 million, or 97.6%, to $0.3 million as of September
30,
2006, as compared to $12.2 million as of December 31, 2005. The bank overdraft
relates to hurricane-related loss and LAE disbursements paid but not yet
presented for payment by the policyholder or vendor. The decrease relates to
our
payment patterns in relationship to the rate at which those cash disbursements
are presented to the bank for payment.
Funds
Held Under Reinsurance Treaties
Funds
held under reinsurance treaties remained relatively unchanged at $1.5 million
as
of September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.5 million as of December 31, 2005.
During its regularly scheduled meeting on August 17, 2005, the Board of
Governors of Citizens determined a 2004 plan year deficit existed in their
High
Risk Account. Citizen’s Board decided that a $515 million Regular Assessment was
in the best interest of Citizens and consistent with Florida Statutes. On this
basis, Citizen’s Board certified for a Regular Assessment. Federated National’s
participation in this assessment totaled $2.0 million. Provisions contained
in
our excess of loss reinsurance policies provided for their participation
totaling $1.5 million of our $2.0 million assessment. Pursuant to Section
627.3512, Florida Statutes, insurers are permitted to recoup the assessment
by
adding a surcharge to policies in an amount not to exceed the amount paid by
the
insurer to Citizens. Federated National recouped $1.5 million of this assessment
from our reinsurers.
Income
Taxes Payable
Income
taxes payable increased $7.9 million, or 261.3%, to $10.9 million as of
September 30, 2006, as compared to $3.0 million as of December 31, 2005. The
increase is due to our continued profitable operations and the one time gain
in
connection with the sale of our property in Lauderdale Lakes.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Subordinated
Debt
Subordinated
Debt decreased $5.0 million, or 49.0%, to $5.2 million as of September 30,
2006,
as compared to $10.2 million as of December 31, 2005. The decrease is in
connection with the retirement of the 2003 notes on July 31, 2006 and the
scheduled quarterly principal payments on the 2004 notes.
Deferred
Gain from Sale of Property
Deferred
gain from sale of property increased to $2.6 million as of September 30, 2006
as
compared to nothing as of December 31, 2005. In accordance with the provisions
of FASB No. 13, we will amortize the deferred gain over the term of the
lease-back which is scheduled to end in December 2011.
Accounts
Payable and Accrued Expenses
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses decreased $1.8 million, or 43.1%, to $2.4 million
as of September 30, 2006 as compared to $4.2 million as of December 31, 2005.
This decrease is due to our cash management efforts and timing of payments
with
our trade vendors.
Results
of Operations
Three
Months Ended September 30, 2006 as Compared to Three Months Ended September
30,
2005
Gross
Premiums Written
Gross
premiums written decreased $0.7 million, or 2.7%, to $24.7 million for the
three
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $25.4 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2005. The following table denotes gross premiums
written by major product line.
Three
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
Homeowners'
|
$
|
15,907,467
|
64.48
|
%
|
$
|
16,275,500
|
64.19
|
%
|
|||||
Commercial
liability
|
8,292,591
|
33.62
|
%
|
5,451,419
|
21.50
|
%
|
|||||||
Automobile
|
469,445
|
1.90
|
%
|
3,628,316
|
14.31
|
%
|
|||||||
Gross
written premiums
|
$
|
24,669,503
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
25,355,235
|
100.00
|
%
|
|||||
As
noted
above, the Company’s efforts to expand commercial general liability lines of
insurance products are coming to fruition, as reflected by increased premiums
written of $2.8 million, or 52.1 % to $8.3 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to $5.5 million for the same three month period
last year.
The
following table sets forth the amounts and percentages of our gross premiums
written in connection with our commercial general liability program by state:
Three
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
State
|
|||||||||||||
Florida
|
$
|
5,428
|
65.45
|
%
|
$
|
4,525
|
83.01
|
%
|
|||||
Georgia
|
660
|
7.96
|
%
|
440
|
8.08
|
%
|
|||||||
Lousiania
|
1,380
|
16.64
|
%
|
486
|
8.91
|
%
|
|||||||
Texas
|
825
|
9.95
|
%
|
—
|
0.00
|
%
|
|||||||
Total
|
$
|
8,293
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
5,451
|
100.00
|
%
|
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
The
Company’s sale of homeowners’ policies decreased $0.4 million, or 2.27% to $15.9
million for the three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $16.3
million in the same three months ended September 30, 2005.
The
Company’s sale of auto insurance policies decreased by $3.2 million, or 87.1%,
to $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared
to
$3.6 million in the same three months ended September 30, 2005.
Gross
Premiums Ceded
Gross
premiums ceded increased to a debit balance of ($57.4) million for the three
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to a debit balance of ($7.2)
million for the three months ended September 30, 2005. The increase is
associated with the change in our prepaid reinsurance premiums.
Increase
in Prepaid Reinsurance Premiums
The
increase in prepaid reinsurance premiums was $42.1 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.1 million for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005. The increased credit to written premium is primarily
associated with the timing of our reinsurance payments measured against the
term
of the underlying reinsurance policies.
Decrease
in Unearned Premiums
The
decrease in unearned premiums was $12.4 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to $2.5 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2005. The change was due to a $10.4 million decrease in unearned
homeowners’ insurance premiums, a $0.5 million increase in unearned commercial
general liability premiums, a $2.5 million decrease in unearned automobile
premiums, and a $0.1 million decrease in unearned mobile home insurance
premiums. These changes reflect our continued growth along our homeowners’ and
commercial general liability lines of business. For further discussion, see
“Analysis of Financial Condition - Unearned Premiums” on page 29.
Net
Premiums Earned
Net
premiums earned increased $1.0 million, or 4.9%, to $21.7 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $20.7 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2005. The following table denotes net premiums earned
by product line.
Three
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
Homeowners'
|
$
|
11,040,823
|
50.87
|
%
|
$
|
9,613,286
|
46.44
|
%
|
|||||
Commercial
liability
|
7,743,852
|
35.67
|
%
|
4,943,853
|
23.88
|
%
|
|||||||
Automobile
|
2,922,730
|
13.46
|
%
|
6,145,073
|
29.68
|
%
|
|||||||
Net
premiums earned
|
$
|
21,707,405
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
20,702,212
|
100.00
|
%
|
|||||
As
noted
above, the Company’s efforts to expand commercial general liability lines of
insurance products are coming to fruition, as reflected by increased net
premiums earned of $2.8 million, or 56.6 % to $7.7 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $4.9 million for the same three month
period last year.
Finance
Revenue
Finance
revenue decreased $0.5 million, or 58.5%, to $0.3 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.8 million for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005. The decrease is primarily due to the sale in December 2004
of our assets related to our non-standard automobile insurance agency business
in Florida and the finance revenue derived there-from.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Managing
General Agent Fees
Managing
general agent fees decreased $0.1 million, or 13.5%, to $0.5 million for the
three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.6 million for the
three
months ended September 30, 2005. The decrease is associated with the number
of
policies issued during the respective periods.
Net
Investment Income
Net
investment income increased $0.6 million, or 61.7%, to $1.6 million for the
three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.0 million for the
three
months ended September 30, 2005. The increase in investment income is primarily
a result of the additional amounts of invested assets. Also affecting our net
investment income was an increase in overall yield to 5.59 % for the three
months ended September 30, 2006 as compared to a yield of 4.37% for the three
months ended September 30, 2005.
Net
Realized Investment Gains
Net
realized investment gains increased to $0.3 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to nothing for the three months ended September
30, 2005. These gains were in connection with various common stocks held by
the
company.
Other
Income
Other
income decreased $0.2 million, or 33.5%, to $0.4 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.6 million for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005. Major components of other income for the three months ended
September 30, 2006 included approximately $0.1 million of commissions in
connection with the acquisition of our current reinsurance program, $0.1 million
in connection with the recognition of our gain on the sale of our Lauderdale
Lakes property and $0.1 million of commissions in connection with the national
flood insurance program.
Loss
and LAE
Loss
and
LAE, our most significant expense, represent actual payments made and changes
in
estimated future payments to be made to or on behalf of our policyholders,
including expenses required to settle claims and losses. We revise our estimates
based on the results of analysis of estimated future payments to be made. This
process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current
developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting
future events.
Loss
and
LAE decreased by $3.0 million, or 22.6%, to $10.3 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, despite $4.0 million adverse development in connection
with the 2004 hurricane season, as compared to $13.3 million for the three
months ended September 30, 2005, which also included significant adverse
development in connection with the same 2004 hurricanes.
We
continue to revise our estimates of the ultimate financial impact of past
storms. The revisions to our estimates are based on our analysis of subsequent
information that we receive regarding various factors, including: (i) per claim
information; (ii) company and industry historical loss experience; (iii)
legislative enactments, judicial decisions, legal developments in the awarding
of damages, and (iv) trends in general economic conditions, including the
effects of inflation. Management revises its estimates based on the results
of
its analysis. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the
effects of current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis
for estimating the ultimate settlement of all claims. There is no precise method
for subsequently evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy
of
the reserves, because the eventual redundancy or deficiency is affected by
multiple factors.
The
table
below reflects a recovery to operations of $0.2 million during the three months
ended September 30, 2006 from the four hurricanes that occurred in July, August,
September and October of 2005.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2005
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Dennis
(July 10)
|
2
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||||
Katrina
(August 25)
|
20
|
(1.5
|
)
|
(1.5
|
)
|
—
|
|||||||
Rita
(September 20)
|
—
|
(0.1
|
)
|
—
|
(0.1
|
)
|
|||||||
Wilma
(October 24)
|
168
|
8.3
|
8.4
|
(0.1
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
190
|
$
|
6.7
|
$
|
6.9
|
$
|
(0.2
|
)
|
|||||
The
following table reflects the changes during the three months ended September
30,
2006 in connection with the four hurricanes that occurred in August and
September of 2004. During the three months ended September 30, 2006, the
resolution of other lawsuits involving similarly styled coverage issues
involving other property insurers came to fruition. Accordingly, based on the
resolution of these lawsuits involving similarly styled coverage issues we
have
charged operations with approximately $3.9 million of additional loss and LAE
during the quarter ended September 30, 2006.
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2004
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Charley
(August 13)
|
2
|
$
|
2.5
|
$
|
2.5
|
$
|
—
|
||||||
Frances
(September 3)
|
3
|
0.7
|
0.8
|
(0.1
|
)
|
||||||||
Ivan
(September 14)
|
2
|
3.9
|
—
|
3.9
|
|||||||||
Jeanne
(September 25)
|
4
|
0.2
|
—
|
0.2
|
|||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
11
|
$
|
7.3
|
$
|
3.3
|
$
|
4.0
|
||||||
Our
loss
ratio, as determined in accordance with GAAP, for the three month period ended
September 30, 2006 was 47.32% compared with 64.13% for the same period in 2005.
The table below reflects the loss ratios by product line.
Three
months ended
September
30,
|
|||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||
Homeowners'
|
63.42
|
%
|
99.25
|
%
|
|||
Commercial
liability
|
18.01
|
%
|
6.83
|
%
|
|||
Automobile
|
64.13
|
%
|
55.27
|
%
|
|||
All
lines
|
47.32
|
%
|
64.13
|
%
|
|||
For
further discussion, see the Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements
included under Part I, Item 1, of this Report.
Operating
and Underwriting
Expenses
Operating
and underwriting expenses increased $2.2
million, or 135.1%, to $3.8 million for the three months ended September 30,
2006, as compared to $1.6 million for the three months ended September 30,
2005.
The increase is primarily due to a charge to operations of $1.9 million in
connection with a FIGA assessment. Approval by the OIR to recoup the assessment
through a 0.9% policy surcharge over a twelve month period for new and renewal
business is pending.
Salaries
and Wages
Salaries
and wages increased $0.1 million, or 6.1%, to $1.7 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.6 million for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005. As a result of adopting SFAS No. 123R on January 1, 2006,
salaries and wages for the three months ended September 30, 2006 increased
$115,000, representing approximately 117.4% of the 2006 third quarter’s overall
increase.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Interest
Expense
Interest
expense decreased $0.2 million, or 57.0%, to $0.1 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.3 million for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005. The decrease is in correlation to our decreased subordinated
debt.
Policy
Acquisition Costs, Net of Amortization
Policy
acquisition costs, net of amortization, increased $1.1 million, or 27.5%, to
$5.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to
$3.9
million for the three months ended September 30, 2005. Policy acquisition costs,
net of amortization, consists of the actual policy acquisition costs, including
commissions, payroll and premium taxes, less commissions earned on reinsurance
ceded and policy fees earned.
Provision
for Income Tax Expense
The
provision for income tax expense for continuing and discontinued operations
decreased $0.2 million, or 20.9%, to $0.9 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.1 million for the three months ended
September 30, 2005. The effective rate for income tax expense is 22.1% for
the
three months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to 36.9% for the same three
month period in 2005.
Net
Income
As
a
result of the foregoing, the Company’s net income for the three months ended
September 30, 2006 was $3.0 million compared to net income of $1.9 million
for
the three months ended September 30, 2005.
Results
of Operations
Nine
Months Ended September 30, 2006 as Compared to Nine Months Ended September
30,
2005
Gross
Premiums Written
Gross
premiums written increased $24.2 million, or 27.9%, to $111.0 million for the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $86.8 million for the
nine
months ended September 30, 2005. The following table denotes gross premiums
written by major product line.
Nine
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
Homeowners'
|
$
|
80,865,442
|
72.83
|
%
|
$
|
53,361,787
|
61.47
|
%
|
|||||
Commercial
liability
|
24,749,710
|
22.29
|
%
|
16,977,589
|
19.56
|
%
|
|||||||
Automobile
|
5,416,096
|
4.88
|
%
|
16,475,811
|
18.98
|
%
|
|||||||
Gross
written premiums
|
$
|
111,031,248
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
86,815,187
|
100.00
|
%
|
|||||
As
noted
above, the Company’s efforts to expand commercial general liability lines of
insurance products are coming to fruition, as reflected by increased premiums
written of $7.8 million, or 45.8 % to $24.7 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to $17.0 million for the same nine month period
last year.
The
following table sets forth the amounts and percentages of our gross premiums
written in connection with our commercial general liability program by state:
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Nine
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
(Dollars
in Thousands)
|
|||||||||||||
State
|
|||||||||||||
Florida
|
$
|
18,169
|
73.41
|
%
|
$
|
14,520
|
85.52
|
%
|
|||||
Georgia
|
1,230
|
4.97
|
%
|
977
|
5.75
|
%
|
|||||||
Lousiania
|
4,234
|
17.11
|
%
|
1,481
|
8.73
|
%
|
|||||||
Texas
|
1,117
|
4.51
|
%
|
-
|
0.00
|
%
|
|||||||
Total
|
$
|
24,750
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
16,978
|
100.00
|
%
|
|||||
The
Company’s sale of homeowners’ policies increased $27.5 million, or 51.6%, to
$80.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to
$53.4
million in the same nine months ended September 30, 2005. The increase in
homeowners’ gross premiums written is primarily due to the Company’s rate
increase, and to a lesser extent, the addition of new customers.
The
Company’s sale of auto insurance policies decreased $11.1 million, or 67.1%, to
$5.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $16.5
million in the same nine months ended September 30, 2005.
Gross
Premiums Ceded
Gross
premiums ceded increased to a debit balance of ($60.8) million for the nine
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to a debit balance of ($12.1)
million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. The increase is associated
with the change in our prepaid reinsurance premiums in connection with our
2006-2007 hurricane season. For further discussion please see Footnote 7 titled
“Reinsurance Agreements”.
Increase
(Decrease) in Prepaid Reinsurance Premiums
The
increase (decrease) in prepaid reinsurance premiums was $32.8 million for the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to ($5.4) million for the
nine
months ended September 30, 2005. The increased credit to written premium is
primarily associated with the timing of our reinsurance payments measured
against the term of the underling reinsurance policies.
(Increase)
in Unearned Premiums
The
(increase) in unearned premiums was ($10.8) million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to ($7.8) million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. The change was due to a $12.2 million increase in unearned
homeowners’ insurance premiums, a $4.6 million increase in unearned commercial
general liability premiums, and a $6.0 million decrease in unearned automobile
premiums. These changes reflect our continued growth along our homeowners’ and
commercial general liability lines of business. For further discussion, see
“Analysis of Financial Condition - Unearned Premiums” on page 29.
Net
Premiums Earned
Net
premiums earned increased $10.8 million, or 17.6%, to $72.3 million for the
nine
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $61.4 million for the nine
months ended September 30, 2005. The following table denotes net premiums earned
by major product line.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Nine
months ended September 30,
|
|||||||||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||||||
Amount
|
Percentage
|
Amount
|
Percentage
|
||||||||||
Homeowners'
|
$
|
40,720,936
|
56.36
|
%
|
$
|
29,319,478
|
47.73
|
%
|
|||||
Commercial
liability
|
20,126,319
|
27.85
|
%
|
13,277,426
|
21.62
|
%
|
|||||||
Automobile
|
11,408,230
|
15.79
|
%
|
18,829,356
|
30.65
|
%
|
|||||||
Net
premiums earned
|
$
|
72,255,485
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
61,426,260
|
100.00
|
%
|
|||||
As
noted
above, the Company’s efforts to expand commercial general liability lines of
insurance products are coming to fruition, as reflected by increased net
premiums earned of $6.8 million, or 51.6 % to $20.1 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $13.3 million for the same nine month
period last year.
Finance
Revenue
Finance
revenue decreased $1.4 million, or 48.5%, to $1.5 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $2.8 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. The decrease is primarily due to the sale in December 2004
of our assets related to our non-standard automobile insurance agency business
in Florida and the finance revenue derived there from.
Managing
General Agent Fees
Managing
general agent fees increased $0.2 million, or 9.5%, to $2.0 million for the
nine
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.8 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2005.
Net
Investment Income
Net
investment income increased $1.6 million, or 57.8%, to $4.4 million for the
nine
months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $2.8 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2005. The increase in investment income is primarily a
result of the additional amounts of invested assets. Also affecting our net
investment income was an increase in overall yield to 4.69% for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006 as compared to a yield of 3.54% for the nine months
ending September 30, 2005.
Net
Realized Investment Gains
Net
realized investment gains increased $0.5 million, or 160.5%, to $0.7 million
for
the nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $0.3 million for the
nine months ended September 30, 2005. The table below depicts the gains (losses)
by investment category.
Net
Realized Gains (Losses)
|
|||||||
Nine
Months Ended September 30,
|
|||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||
Fixed
maturities:
|
|||||||
U.S.
government obligations and agencies
|
$
|
(32,516
|
)
|
$
|
(131,066
|
)
|
|
Obligations
of states and political subdivisions
|
76
|
(43
|
)
|
||||
(32,440
|
)
|
(131,109
|
)
|
||||
Corporate
securities:
|
|||||||
Other
|
(33,816
|
)
|
31,521
|
||||
Equity
securities:
|
|||||||
Common
stocks
|
808,880
|
384,621
|
|||||
Total
net realized gains
|
$
|
742,624
|
$
|
285,033
|
-37-
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Other
Income
Other
income increased $0.4 million, or 37.2%, to $1.4 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.0 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. Major components of other income for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 included approximately $0.4 million in connection with the
recognition of our gain on the sale of our Lauderdale Lakes property, $0.4
million of commissions in connection with the acquisition of our current
reinsurance program, $0.2 million of commissions in connection with the national
flood insurance program, $0.2 million of business interruption recovery, and
$0.1 million of rental income.
Loss
and LAE
Loss
and
LAE, our most significant expense, represent actual payments made and changes
in
estimated future payments to be made to or on behalf of our policyholders,
including expenses required to settle claims and losses. We revise our estimates
based on the results of analysis of estimated future payments to be made. This
process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current
developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting
future events.
Loss
and
LAE decreased by $5.3 million, or 16.3%, to $27.2 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $32.5 million for the nine months
ended
September 30, 2005. The decrease is attributable to the increase in loss and
LAE
incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 which was in connection
with the adverse development associated with the 2004 hurricanes.
We
continue to revise our estimates of the ultimate financial impact of past
storms. The revisions to our estimates are based on our analysis of subsequent
information that we receive regarding various factors, including: (i) per claim
information; (ii) company and industry historical loss experience; (iii)
legislative enactments, judicial decisions, legal developments in the awarding
of damages, and (iv) trends in general economic conditions, including the
effects of inflation. Management revises its estimates based on the results
of
its analysis. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the
effects of current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis
for estimating the ultimate settlement of all claims. There is no precise method
for subsequently evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy
of
the reserves, because the eventual redundancy or deficiency is affected by
multiple factors.
The
table
below reflects a recovery to operations of $0.2 million during the nine months
ended September 30, 2006 from the four hurricanes that occurred in July, August,
September and October of 2005.
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2005
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Dennis
(July 10)
|
2
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||||
Katrina
(August 25)
|
40
|
(1.5
|
)
|
(1.5
|
)
|
—
|
|||||||
Rita
(September 20)
|
(5
|
)
|
(0.1
|
)
|
—
|
(0.1
|
)
|
||||||
Wilma
(October 24)
|
1,419
|
16.4
|
16.5
|
(0.1
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
1,456
|
$
|
14.8
|
$
|
15.0
|
$
|
(0.2
|
)
|
|||||
The
following table reflects the changes during the nine months ended September
30,
2006 in connection with the four hurricanes that occurred in August and
September of 2004. A charge of $5.3 million occurred during the nine months
ended September 30, 2006 in connection with these storms.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Claim
|
Gross
|
Reinsurance
|
Net
|
||||||||||
2004
Hurricanes
|
Count
|
Losses
|
Recoveries
|
Losses
|
|||||||||
(Dollars
in millions)
|
|||||||||||||
Charley
(August 13)
|
7
|
$
|
3.8
|
$
|
3.8
|
$
|
—
|
||||||
Frances
(September 3)
|
6
|
1.2
|
1.2
|
—
|
|||||||||
Ivan
(September 14)
|
(2
|
)
|
4.9
|
—
|
4.9
|
||||||||
Jeanne
(September 25)
|
16
|
0.4
|
—
|
0.4
|
|||||||||
Total
Loss Estimate
|
27
|
$
|
10.3
|
$
|
5.0
|
$
|
5.3
|
||||||
Our
loss
ratio, as determined in accordance with GAAP, for the nine month period ended
September 30, 2006 was 37.62% compared with 52.9% for the same period in 2005.
The table below reflects the loss ratios by product line.
Nine
months ended
September
30,
|
|||||||
2006
|
2005
|
||||||
Homeowners'
|
36.17
|
%
|
64.76
|
%
|
|||
Commercial
liability
|
17.76
|
%
|
17.00
|
%
|
|||
Automobile
|
77.83
|
%
|
59.75
|
%
|
|||
All
lines
|
37.62
|
%
|
52.90
|
%
|
|||
For
further discussion, see the Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements
included under Part I, Item 1, of this Report.
Operating
and Underwriting Expenses
Operating
and underwriting expenses increased $3.0 million, or 55.5%, to $8.4 million
for
the nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $5.4 million for the
nine months ended September 30, 2005. The change is primarily due to a charge
to
operations of $1.9 million in connection with a FIGA assessment and premium
tax
expense which increased $1.1 million. Approval by the OIR to recoup the
assessment through a 0.9% policy surcharge over a twelve month period for new
and renewal business is pending. Premium tax expense is directly correlated
to
written premium, which experienced an increase in 2006.
Salaries
and Wages
Salaries
and wages increased $0.6 million, or 11.6%, to $5.3 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $4.8 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. As a result of the adoption of SFAS No. 123R on January
1,
2006, salaries and wages for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 include
a
$0.4 million charge, representing approximately 71.8% of the 2006 overall
increase. The remaining increase in salaries and wages was due in part to the
increased labor costs in connection with additional claims loss adjusters added
to our staff. We believe that salaries and wages are consistent with retaining
quality management and increased premium production.
Interest
Expense
Interest
expense decreased $0.6 million, or 51.5%, to $0.5 million for the nine months
ended September 30, 2006, as compared to $1.1 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. The change is primarily attributed to our decreased reliance
upon outside sources for financing our contracts receivable.
Policy
Acquisition Costs, Net of Amortization
Policy
acquisition costs, net of amortization, increased $2.1 million, or 18.9%, to
$13.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to
$11.0
million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005. Policy acquisition costs,
net of amortization, consists of the actual policy acquisition costs, including
commissions, payroll and premium taxes, less commissions earned on reinsurance
ceded and policy fees earned.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Provision
for Income Tax Expense
The
provision for income tax expense for continuing and discontinued operations
increased $3.4 million, or 54.2%, to $9.8 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006, as compared to $6.4 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005. The effective rate for income tax expense is 35.3% for
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, as compared to 37.3% for the same nine
month period in 2005.
Net
Income
As
a
result of the foregoing, the Company’s net income for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006 was $17.9 million compared to net income of $10.7 million
for
the nine months ended September 30, 2005.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, our primary sources of capital were
revenues generated from operations, including decreased amounts due from
reinsurers, net, increased unearned premiums, increased income taxes payable
and
decreased finance contracts receivable. Operational sources of capital also
included decreased premiums receivable, decreased other assets, net realized
investment gains, increased premium deposits, non-cash compensation,
depreciation and amortization, common stock issued for interest on notes, an
increased provision for credit losses and increased funds held under reinsurance
treaties. Also contributing to our liquidity were proceeds from the sale of
investment securities, exercised warrants, the sale of assets, exercised
employee stock options and a tax benefit related to non-cash compensation.
Because we are a holding company, we are largely dependent upon fees and
commissions from our subsidiaries for cash flow.
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, operations provided net operating cash
flow of $24.3 million, as compared to $11.2 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2005.
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, operations generated $207.1 million of
gross cash flow, due to a $155.7 million decrease in amounts due from
reinsurers, net, a $10.8 million increase in unearned premiums, a $7.9 million
increase in income taxes payable, a $4.9 million decrease in finance contracts
receivable, a $3.3 million decrease in premiums receivable, a $4.3 million
decrease in other assets and $0.7 million of net realized investment gains.
To a
much less significant extent, operations generated additional sources of cash
via a $0.6 million increase in premium deposits, $0.4 million of non-cash
compensation, $0.3 million in depreciation and amortization, $0.1 million of
common stock issued for interest on notes and a $0.1 million increase in the
provision for credit losses; all in conjunction with net income of $17.9
million.
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, operations used $182.8 million of gross
cash flow primarily due to a $122.8 million decrease in unpaid losses and LAE,
a
$39.4 million increase in prepaid reinsurance premiums, a $11.9 million decrease
in bank overdrafts, a $2.5 million increase in deferred gain on sale of our
building, a $1.8 million decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses,
a
$1.6 million increase in policy acquisition costs, net of amortization, a $2.0
million increase in deferred income tax expense, a $0.5 million increase in
recognized gain in connection with the sale of our building, $0.2 million in
amortization of investment discount, net and a $0.1 million recovery of
uncollectible premiums receivable.
Subject
to catastrophic occurrences, net operating cash flow is currently expected
to be
positive in both the short-term and the reasonably foreseeable future.
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, net investing activities used $23.7
million, as compared to $10.2 million for the nine months ended September 30,
2005. Our available for sale investment portfolio is highly liquid as it
consists entirely of readily marketable securities.
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, investing activities generated $230.9
million and used $259.8 million from the maturity several times over of our
very
short municipal portfolio. Sources of cash flow from investing activities
included the sale of property with net book value of $2.7 million, for which
we
received $5.6 million in proceeds and recorded a $2.9 million deferred gain.
The
Company also used $0.4 million for the purchase of equipment.
21st
Century Holding Company
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2006, net financing activities provided $1.2
million, as compared to using $5.7 million for the nine months ended September
30, 2005. For the nine months ended September 30, 2006, the sources of cash
in
connection with financing activities included $8.0 million from the exercise
of
warrants and $1.6 million from the exercise of stock options. The uses of cash
in connection with financing activities included $3.3 million for the regularly
scheduled principal and interest payments on our Notes, $2.9 million in
dividends paid, $2.0 million for the acquisition of common stock and $0.2
million in connection with the reduction of our outstanding revolving credit.
Federated
Premium’s operations are partially funded by the revolving loan agreement with
FlatIron. The effective interest rate on this line of credit, based on our
average outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Agreement, was 9.78% and
8.22% for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Interest expense on this revolving credit line totaled approximately $7,600
and
$68,600 for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005,
respectively.
Outstanding
borrowings under the Revolving Agreement were approximately $10,000 and $200,000
as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively.
As
an
alternative to premium finance, we offer direct billing in connection with
our
automobile program, where the insurance company accepts from the insured, as
a
receivable, a promise to pay the premium, as opposed to requiring the full
amount of the policy, either directly from the insured or from a premium finance
company. The advantage of direct billing a policyholder by the insurance company
is that we are not reliant on our credit facility, but remain able to charge
and
collect interest from the policyholder.
We
believe that our current capital resources, together with cash flow from
operations, will be sufficient to meet currently anticipated working capital
requirements. There can be no assurances, however, that such will be the case.
Federated
National’s and American Vehicle’s statutory capital surplus levels as of
September 30, 2006 were approximately $21.5 million and $27.0 million,
respectively, and their statutory net income for the nine months ended September
30, 2006 were $9.4 million and $6.6 million, respectively.
As
of
September 30, 2006, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated
entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as
“structured finance” or “special purpose” entities, which were established for
the purpose of facilitating off-balance-sheet arrangements or other
contractually narrow or limited purposes. As such, management believes that
we
currently are not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risks
that could arise if we had engaged in transactions of that type requiring
disclosure herein.
Impact
of Inflation and Changing Prices
The
consolidated financial statements and related data presented herein have been
prepared in accordance with GAAP, which requires the measurement of financial
position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without
considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due
to
inflation. The primary assets and liabilities of the Company are monetary in
nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on the
Company's performance than the effects of general levels of inflation. Interest
rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or with the same magnitude
as the inflationary effect on the cost of paying losses and LAE.
Insurance
premiums are established before the Company knows the amount of loss and LAE
and
the extent to which inflation may affect such expenses. Consequently, we attempt
to anticipate the future impact of inflation when establishing rate levels.
While we attempt to charge adequate premiums, we may be limited in raising
our
premium levels for competitive and regulatory reasons. Inflation also affects
the market value of our investment portfolio and the investment rate of return.
Any future economic changes which result in prolonged and increased levels
of
inflation could cause increases in the dollar amount of incurred loss and LAE
and thereby materially adversely affect future liability
requirements.
21st
Century Holding Company
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Information
related to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk was
included under Item 7a, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market
Risk”, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.
No material changes have occurred in market risk since this information was
disclosed except as discussed below.
Our
investment portfolio is available for sale and is carried at fair value, except
for that portion deemed as held to maturity. Gains that represent securities
with a fair value in excess of amortized cost, and losses (amortized cost is
in
excess of fair value) that are deemed temporary by management are recorded
in
shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income. Losses that are
deemed other than temporary by management are recorded as net realized losses
in
the consolidated statement of operations. A summary of the investment portfolio
as of September 30, 2006 follows:
Book
Value
|
Fair
/ Amortized Value
|
Unrealized
Gain (Loss)
|
||||||||||||||
Fixed
maturities:
|
||||||||||||||||
U.S.
government obligations and agencies available for sale
|
$
|
69,348,494
|
53.13
|
%
|
$
|
68,670,403
|
53.21
|
%
|
$
|
(678,091
|
)
|
|||||
U.S.
government obligations and agencies held to maturity
|
18,672,001
|
14.30
|
%
|
18,672,001
|
14.47
|
%
|
—
|
|||||||||
Obligations
of states and political subdivisions available for sale
|
24,508,085
|
18.77
|
%
|
24,377,459
|
18.89
|
%
|
(130,626
|
)
|
||||||||
Obligations
of states and political subdivisions held to maturity
|
501,554
|
0.38
|
%
|
501,554
|
0.39
|
%
|
—
|
|||||||||
113,030,134
|
86.58
|
%
|
112,221,417
|
86.96
|
%
|
(808,717
|
)
|
|||||||||
Corporate
securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
Communications
available for sale
|
512,723
|
0.40
|
%
|
521,948
|
0.40
|
%
|
9,225
|
|||||||||
Financial
available for sale
|
500,000
|
0.38
|
%
|
478,895
|
0.37
|
%
|
(21,105
|
)
|
||||||||
Other
available for sale
|
1,650,000
|
1.26
|
%
|
1,610,582
|
1.25
|
%
|
(39,418
|
)
|
||||||||
Other
held to maturity
|
500,000
|
0.38
|
%
|
500,000
|
0.39
|
%
|
-
|
|||||||||
3,162,723
|
2.42
|
%
|
3,111,425
|
2.41
|
%
|
(51,298
|
)
|
|||||||||
Equity
securities:
|
||||||||||||||||
Common
stocks available for sale
|
14,358,007
|
11.00
|
%
|
13,712,670
|
10.63
|
%
|
(645,337
|
)
|
||||||||
Total
fixed, corporate and equity securities
|
$
|
130,550,864
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
129,045,512
|
100.00
|
%
|
$
|
(1,505,352
|
)
|
|||||
For
our
held to maturity portfolio as of September 30, 2006, the unrealized loss on
our
U.S. government obligations and agencies was approximately $76,000 and the
unrealized loss on our Obligations of states and political subdivisions was
approximately $946.
As
of
September 30, 2006, there were no concentrations greater than 5% of total
investments in any single investment other than United States government
obligations.
Controls
and Procedures
We
carried out an evaluation required by the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
(the “1934 Act”), under the supervision and with the participation of our
principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the
effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the 1934 Act, as of September 30,
2006, the end of the period covered by this report.
Based
on
this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer
concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide
reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the
reports that we file or submit under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and
forms and to provide reasonable assurance that
21st
Century Holding Company
such
information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our
principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate
to
allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
During
the most recent fiscal quarter, there has not occurred any change in our
internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or
is
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
Management
does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent or
detect all error and fraud. Any control system, no matter how well designed
and
operated, is based upon certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable,
not
absolute, assurance that its objectives will be met. Further, no evaluation
of
controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or
fraud
will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within
the Company have been detected.
Legal
Proceedings
We
are
involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course
of
business. Specifically, we are a party to approximately seven lawsuits in
connection with coverage disputes associated with claims resulting from
Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne. Hurricane Ivan occurred on September 14, 2004.
Hurricane Jeanne occurred on September 25, 2004. During the three months ended
September 30, 2006, the resolution of other lawsuits involving similarly styled
coverage issues involving other property insurers came to fruition. Accordingly,
based on the resolution of these lawsuits involving similarly styled coverage
issues we have charged operations with approximately $3.9 million of additional
loss and LAE during the quarter ended September 30, 2006.
In
2000
and 2001 respectively, two class action lawsuits were filed against an
unaffiliated insurance company for which our subsidiary, Assurance MGA, was
the
managing general agent. These lawsuits were seeking compensatory damages in
an
undisclosed amount based on allegations of unfair practices involving the
computation of interest due the policyholder in connection with automobile
premium refunds. The unaffiliated company has contested these lawsuits over
the
last several years. Negotiations relative to this matter have been ongoing
and
in July 2005 the parties reached an agreement wherein we have paid $240,000
to
resolve the underlying actions in these suits subject to our contractual duties
with respect to the unaffiliated company. We believe that we will be successful
in our efforts to enjoin others to participate in this settlement; however
we
are unable to quantify the participation of others at this time. Accordingly,
we
charged against second quarter 2005 earnings $240,000 for this
action.
In
the
opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have
a
material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of
operations, or liquidity.
Risk
Factors
In
addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully
consider the factors discussed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, which could materially
affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K are not the only risks facing our Company.
Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we
currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our
business, financial condition and/or operating results. The most significant
of
these risks include weather related conditions.
(a) |
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
Our
warrant holders exercised an aggregate of 49,926 warrants at an exercise price
of $12.65 per share and 102,663 warrants at an exercise price of $12.75 per
share during the three months ended September 30, 2006.
Each
of
the warrant holders paid for their shares with cash. Each of these warrant
holders exercised their warrants in reliance upon Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933, because each of these holders was knowledgeable, sophisticated
and
had access to comprehensive information about us. We placed legends on the
certificates stating that the securities were not registered under the
Securities Act and set forth the restrictions on their transferability and
sale.
We have filed registration statements to register the resale of the shares
acquired upon exercise of the 2003 and 2004 warrants.
During
the three months ended September 30, 2006, fourteen employees exercised options
to acquire an aggregate of 6,750 shares of the Company's common stock with
proceeds to the Company aggregating to approximately $0.1 million. All of the
option holders paid cash for these shares. The shares underlying the options
were registered on registration statements on Form S-8 and the shares issued
to
these persons do not contain any restrictive legends, except the Company has
issued stop-transfer instructions against any shares held by
affiliates.
21st
Century Holding Company
(b) |
None
|
(c) |
Market
for the Company’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer
Purchases of Equity
Securities
|
On
May
16, 2006, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized, pursuant to Section 12 of
the Securities Exchange Act, the repurchase of up to $2.0 million of its common
stock. Acting upon the Board’s authorization, the Company repurchased, for
approximately $2.0 million, 130,461 shares for an average price of $15.34
between May 16, 2006 and May 24, 2006. The Company did not repurchase any shares
during the three month period ended September 30, 2006.
Defaults
upon Senior Securities
None
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
None
Other
Information
None
Exhibits
10.1
|
Excess
Catastrophe Reinsurance Contract between Federated National Insurance
Company and American Vehicle Insurance Company, effective July 1,
2006.
*
|
10.2
|
Industry
Loss Warranty Catastrophe Excess of Loss Reinsurance between Federated
National Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for
$15
million Ultimate Net Loss, effective July 1, 2006.
*
|
10.3
|
Industry
Loss Warranty Catastrophe Excess of Loss Reinsurance between Federated
National Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for
$10
million Ultimate Net Loss, effective July 1, 2006.
*
|
10.4
|
Industry
Loss Warranty Catastrophe Excess of Loss Reinsurance between Federated
National Insurance Company and Odyssey America Reinsurance Corporation
for
$2.5 million Ultimate Net Loss, effective July 1, 2006.
*
|
10.5
|
Multi-Year
Supplemental Excess Catastrophe Reinsurance Contract between Federated
National Insurance Company and Allianz Risk Transfer (Bermuda) Limited,
effective July 1, 2006. *
|
10.6
|
Multi-Year
Supplemental Excess Catastrophe Reinsurance Contract between Federated
National Insurance Company and Catlin Insurance Company, Ltd., effective
July 1, 2006. *
|
10.7
|
Reinstatement
Premium Protection Reinsurance Contract between Federated National
Insurance Company and National Liability and Fire Insurance Company,
effective July 1, 2006. *
|
10.8
|
Supplemental
Excess Catastrophe Reinsurance Contract between Federated National
Insurance Company and National Liability and Fire Insurance Company,
effective July 1, 2006. *
|
21st
Century Holding Company
31.1 |
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. *
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. *
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. *
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. *
|
* |
filed
herewith
|
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 hereunto
duly authorized.
21st
CENTURY HOLDING COMPANY
By:
/s/
Edward J. Lawson
Edward
J.
Lawson, President, Chief Executive Officer
and
Chairman of the Board
/s/
James G. Jennings, III
James G. Jennings III, Chief Financial Officer
Date:
November 14, 2006
-47-