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Essent Group Ltd.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and diluted EPS compared: Net income was $164.2 million, or $1.67 per diluted share, against $176.2 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, a year earlier. Source
  • Loss provision rose from a year ago: Provision for losses and LAE was $44.9 million, against $30.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Mortgage Insurance combined ratio rose: The Mortgage Insurance segment combined ratio was 33.9%, against 22.1% in the second quarter and 29.6% a year earlier. Source
  • New insurance written compared with prior periods: New insurance written was $12.2 billion, against $12.5 billion in the second quarter and $12.5 billion in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Insurance in force rose to $248.8 billion: Insurance in force was $248.8 billion at September 30, against $246.8 billion at June 30 and $243.0 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Repurchases through October 31: Year-to-date through October 31, the company repurchased 8.7 million common shares for $501 million, against $387 million through July 31. Source
  • Book value per share increased: Book value per share was $58.86 at September 30, against $56.98 at June 30 and $53.11 a year earlier. Source

“We are pleased with our third quarter results, which again demonstrate the strength and resilience of our business model”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly dividend Sourcequarterly dividend payable December 10, 2025$0.31 per common shareKept
Share repurchase authorization SourceNovember 2025 through year-end 2027$500 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Board approved a new $500 million share repurchase authorization in November 2025, running through year-end 2027. Source

Earnings and results

  • Net income and diluted EPS compared: Net income was $164.2 million, or $1.67 per diluted share, against $176.2 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, a year earlier. Source
  • Pre-tax income and tax expense: Income before income taxes was $199.2 million against $207.6 million; income tax expense was $34.9 million against $31.4 million. Source
  • Nine-month diluted EPS: For the nine months, diluted EPS was $5.29 against $5.26 a year earlier, and basic EPS was $5.35. Source

Loss provisions and reserves

  • Loss provision rose from a year ago: Provision for losses and LAE was $44.9 million, against $30.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Prior-year provision reduction of $18.2 million: Provision for prior years was a reduction of $18.2 million this quarter, against $29.8 million in the second quarter. Source
  • Cure rate on new defaults: The cure rate on new defaults was 26%, against 60% in the second quarter; 7,693 of the new defaults remained open at September 30. Source
  • Total reserves for losses and LAE: Reserve for losses and LAE was $379.5 million at September 30, against $346.0 million at June 30 and $274.9 million a year earlier. Source

“Our performance was driven by continued favorable credit trends and the benefits of the current interest rate environment on both portfolio persistency and investment income”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Segment results

  • Mortgage Insurance combined ratio rose: The Mortgage Insurance segment combined ratio was 33.9%, against 22.1% in the second quarter and 29.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Mortgage Insurance pre-tax income: Mortgage Insurance income before tax was $204.2 million, against $238.2 million in the second quarter and $216.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Corporate and Other pre-tax loss: Corporate and Other, which includes title operations, recorded a pre-tax loss of $5.0 million, against $7.0 million in the second quarter. Source
  • Title premiums earned: Title insurance and other net premiums earned were $14.7 million, against $14.9 million in the second quarter and $17.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • GSE risk share premiums earned: GSE and other mortgage risk share net premiums earned were $15.9 million, against $13.6 million in the second quarter and $17.1 million a year earlier. Source

New business and insurance in force

  • New insurance written compared with prior periods: New insurance written was $12.2 billion, against $12.5 billion in the second quarter and $12.5 billion in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Insurance in force rose to $248.8 billion: Insurance in force was $248.8 billion at September 30, against $246.8 billion at June 30 and $243.0 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Annual persistency rate: Annual persistency was 86.0% in the quarter, against 85.8% in the second quarter and 86.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Credit score of new business: Weighted average credit score on new insurance written was 754, against 747 in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Refinance share of new business: Refinance loans were 9.5% of new insurance written, against 3.0% a year earlier; purchase loans were 90.5%. Source

Operating expenses and premium rates

  • Operating expenses compared with prior periods: Other underwriting and operating expenses were $59.5 million, against $62.8 million in the second quarter and $66.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Interest expense compared with last year: Interest expense was $8.3 million, against $11.5 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Net average premium rate held steady: The net average premium rate was 0.35%, against 0.36% in the second quarter and 0.35% a year earlier. Source

Investment income and portfolio

  • Net investment income for quarter and nine months: Net investment income was $59.8 million for the quarter and $177.3 million for the nine months, against $165.5 million a year earlier for nine months. Source
  • Pre-tax investment income yield: Pre-tax investment income yield was 3.89% for the quarter and 3.83% for the nine months. Source
  • Investments available for sale total: Investments available for sale totaled $6.09 billion at September 30, against $5.88 billion at December 31, 2024. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Repurchases through October 31: Year-to-date through October 31, the company repurchased 8.7 million common shares for $501 million, against $387 million through July 31. Source
  • Book value per share increased: Book value per share was $58.86 at September 30, against $56.98 at June 30 and $53.11 a year earlier. Source
  • PMIERs sufficiency ratio: The PMIERs sufficiency ratio for Essent Guaranty was 177%, against 176% at June 30. Source
  • Essent Guaranty risk-to-capital ratio: Essent Guaranty's risk-to-capital ratio was 8.9:1, against 9.2:1 at June 30 and 10.0:1 a year earlier. Source
  • Holding company cash and investments: Cash and investments available for sale at the holding companies were $1.04 billion at September 30, 2025. Source

Premiums, reinsurance and ratings

  • Net premiums written declined slightly: Net premiums written were $241.8 million, against $243.0 million a year earlier; ceded premiums were $39.0 million. Source
  • Ceded premium rate rose: The ceded premium rate was 0.06% of insurance in force, against 0.05% in the second quarter. Source
  • Moody's upgrade in August 2025: Moody's upgraded Essent Guaranty's insurance financial strength rating to A2 from A3 and the senior unsecured debt rating to Baa2 from Baa3. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 November 2025

  • Dividend payment date: The $0.31 quarterly dividend is payable December 10, 2025, to shareholders of record on December 1, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio Source33.9%
Net premiums written Source$241.8 million
Prior-year reserve development Source$18.2 million reduction
Investment income Source$59.8 million
Book value per share Source$58.86

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.