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Essent Group Ltd.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 13 February 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter net income $155.0 million: Net income was $155.0 million, or $1.60 per diluted share, against $167.9 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, a year earlier. Diluted weighted shares fell to 96.7 million from 106.1 million. Source
  • Mortgage Insurance fourth-quarter combined ratio 42.0%: Mortgage Insurance loss ratio was 25.9% and expense ratio 16.1%, against 17.6% and 17.7% a year earlier. Segment income before tax was $169.8 million, against $183.6 million. Source
  • Third-party reinsurance now its own segment: Third-party reinsurance is now a separate reportable segment, and the GSE and other mortgage risk share is no longer combined with U.S. mortgage insurance. Prior periods were recast to match. Source
  • Fourth-quarter new insurance written $11.8 billion: New insurance written was $11.8 billion, against $12.2 billion in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter of 2024. Full-year new insurance written was $46.6 billion, against $45.6 billion. Source
  • Prior-year reserves reduced again in Q4: Prior-year provision was a reduction of $12.7 million in the fourth quarter, $18.2 million in the third, $29.8 million in the second and $18.2 million in the first quarter. Current-year provision was $67.9 million. Source
  • Book value per share $60.31: Book value per share was $60.31 at December 31, 2025, against $58.86 at September 30 and $53.36 a year earlier. Return on average equity for the quarter was 10.8%, against 11.9%. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised to $0.35: The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, against $0.31 declared in the third-quarter release. It is payable March 23, 2026 to holders of record on March 13, 2026. Source
  • Essent Re enters Lloyd's property and casualty: Essent Re entered quota share agreements backed by Funds at Lloyd’s in the fourth quarter of 2025, covering certain property and casualty risks from the first quarter of 2026. Source

“We are pleased to report strong operating performance in the fourth quarter and full year 2025, which underscores the resilience of our business model and our ability to generate sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders,”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Third-party reinsurance written by Essent Re is now reported as a separate reportable segment called Reinsurance, and prior periods were recast. Source
  • New: Essent Re entered quota share agreements backed by Funds at Lloyd’s to reinsure certain property and casualty risks, effective in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • New: Essent Guaranty entered a quota share reinsurance agreement with a panel of third-party reinsurers covering 20% of eligible policies written in 2027. Source

Quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter net income $155.0 million: Net income was $155.0 million, or $1.60 per diluted share, against $167.9 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, a year earlier. Diluted weighted shares fell to 96.7 million from 106.1 million. Source
  • Full-year net income $690.0 million: Full-year net income was $690.0 million, or $6.90 per diluted share, against $729.4 million, or $6.85 per diluted share, in 2024. Return on average equity for 2025 was 12.1%, against 13.6%. Source
  • Pre-tax income below prior-year levels: Income before income taxes was $184.5 million in the fourth quarter, against $195.0 million a year earlier. Full-year income before taxes was $821.9 million, against $855.5 million, and total revenues were $312.4 million for the quarter. Source

Segment results and reporting change

  • Mortgage Insurance fourth-quarter combined ratio 42.0%: Mortgage Insurance loss ratio was 25.9% and expense ratio 16.1%, against 17.6% and 17.7% a year earlier. Segment income before tax was $169.8 million, against $183.6 million. Source
  • Mortgage Insurance full-year provision rose: Full-year Mortgage Insurance provision for losses and LAE was $145.4 million, against $75.2 million in 2024. Full-year Mortgage Insurance income before tax was $768.3 million, against $804.9 million. Source
  • Reinsurance fourth-quarter combined ratio 23.5%: Reinsurance net premiums earned were $14.7 million and income before tax was $18.4 million, against $20.0 million a year earlier. The combined ratio was 23.5%, against 15.3%. Source
  • Third-party reinsurance now its own segment: Third-party reinsurance is now a separate reportable segment, and the GSE and other mortgage risk share is no longer combined with U.S. mortgage insurance. Prior periods were recast to match. Source
  • Corporate & Other fourth-quarter loss narrowed: Corporate & Other, which includes title insurance and holding company activity, reported a fourth-quarter loss before income tax of $3.7 million, against $8.6 million a year earlier. Source

“Our commitment to a balanced capital management strategy remains a priority”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

New insurance written and portfolio

  • Fourth-quarter new insurance written $11.8 billion: New insurance written was $11.8 billion, against $12.2 billion in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter of 2024. Full-year new insurance written was $46.6 billion, against $45.6 billion. Source
  • Refinance share of new business rose: Purchase loans were 72.3% of fourth-quarter new insurance written, against 88.3% a year earlier. Refinance loans were 27.7%, against 11.7%. Source
  • Insurance in force reached $248.4 billion: Insurance in force was $248.4 billion at December 31, 2025, against $248.8 billion at September 30 and $243.6 billion a year earlier. Policies in force were 807,230. Source
  • Credit scores higher in new business: Fourth-quarter new insurance written had a weighted average credit score of 757, against 751, and a weighted average LTV of 92%, against 93%. Loans scored 760 or above were 55.8% of volume. Source

Reserves, defaults and loss provision

  • Prior-year reserves reduced again in Q4: Prior-year provision was a reduction of $12.7 million in the fourth quarter, $18.2 million in the third, $29.8 million in the second and $18.2 million in the first quarter. Current-year provision was $67.9 million. Source
  • Loans in default rose to 20,210: Loans in default were 20,210, or 2.50% of insured loans, against 18,583 at September 30 and 18,439 a year earlier. New defaults in the quarter were 11,245. Source
  • Cumulative cure rate for new defaults 25%: The cumulative cure rate for fourth-quarter new defaults was 25%, against 89% a year earlier. 8,411 of the new defaults remained open at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Reserves for losses and LAE rose: Reserve for losses and LAE was $429.6 million at December 31, 2025, against $310.2 million a year earlier. Case reserves were $396.8 million and IBNR was $29.8 million. Source

“our strong capital position and cash flow enabled us to return nearly $700 million to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and repurchases”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Operating expenses and premium rate

  • Other operating expenses lower year on year: Other underwriting and operating expenses were $63.7 million in the fourth quarter, against $71.0 million a year earlier. Full-year expenses were $257.0 million, against $270.9 million. Source
  • Net premium rate slipped to 0.34%: Net average premium rate was 0.34% in the fourth quarter, against 0.35% a year earlier. The ceded premium rate was 0.07%, against 0.06%. Source
  • Mortgage Insurance expenses after allocations: Mortgage Insurance operating expenses after corporate allocations were $140.0 million for 2025, against $150.0 million in 2024. Source

Capital, investments and PMIERs

  • Book value per share $60.31: Book value per share was $60.31 at December 31, 2025, against $58.86 at September 30 and $53.36 a year earlier. Return on average equity for the quarter was 10.8%, against 11.9%. Source
  • Stockholders' equity rose year on year: Total stockholders' equity was $5,756.7 million at December 31, 2025, against $5,603.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Net investment income rose to $59.2 million: Net investment income was $59.2 million in the fourth quarter, against $56.6 million. Yield on cash and investments available for sale was 3.84%. Full-year net investment income was $236.5 million. Source
  • Essent Guaranty PMIERs sufficiency 169%: The PMIERs sufficiency ratio for Essent Guaranty was 169% at December 31, 2025, against 178% a year earlier. Excess available assets were $1,433.0 million and statutory capital was $3,572.9 million. Source
  • Holding company cash and investments rose: Cash and investments available for sale at the holding companies were $1,268.6 million, against $1,038.7 million at September 30 and $1,052.9 million a year earlier. Debt-to-capital was 7.99%. Source

Dividend and share repurchases

  • Quarterly dividend raised to $0.35: The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, against $0.31 declared in the third-quarter release. It is payable March 23, 2026 to holders of record on March 13, 2026. Source
  • Repurchases of $576 million in 2025: In 2025 Essent repurchased 9.9 million common shares for $576 million. Common shares outstanding were 95,456 thousand at December 31, 2025, against 105,015 thousand a year earlier. Source
  • $500 million authorization runs to 2027: The third-quarter release noted that in November 2025 the Board approved a $500 million share repurchase authorization running through year-end 2027. The fourth-quarter release does not restate remaining capacity.

Reinsurance agreements and Lloyd's entry

  • Essent Guaranty 2027 quota share signed: In the fourth quarter of 2025, Essent Guaranty signed a quota share reinsurance agreement with a panel of highly rated third-party reinsurers covering 20% of eligible policies written in 2027. Source
  • Essent Re enters Lloyd's property and casualty: Essent Re entered quota share agreements backed by Funds at Lloyd’s in the fourth quarter of 2025, covering certain property and casualty risks from the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • 2025 quota share ceded 25% of premiums: The 2025 quota share cedes 25% of eligible policies, against 15% for the 2024 quota share. Ceded remaining risk in force for the 2025 vintage is 10,905,807 thousand of insurance in force. Source

Investment portfolio quality

  • Aaa share of investments fell: Aaa-rated securities were 15.5% of investments available for sale at December 31, 2025, against 48.1% a year earlier, while Aa1 rose to 32.9% from 2.0%. Ratings are Moody's where available. Source
  • Available-for-sale investments grew: Investments available for sale were $6,104.1 million at December 31, 2025, against $5,876.7 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 13 February 2026

  • Dividend payment date: The $0.35 quarterly dividend is payable March 23, 2026 to shareholders of record on March 13, 2026. Source
  • Lloyd's quota share takes effect: Essent Re's quota share agreements backed by Funds at Lloyd’s are effective in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • 2027 quota share covers new policies: The Essent Guaranty quota share covers 20% of eligible policies written during 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio SourceMortgage Insurance 42.0% (fourth quarter 2025)
Net premiums written Source$237,877 thousand (fourth quarter 2025); $959,464 thousand (full year 2025)
Prior-year reserve development Source(12,705) thousand (fourth quarter 2025)
Investment income Source$59,223 thousand (fourth quarter 2025); $236,517 thousand (full year 2025)
Book value per share Source$60.31 at December 31, 2025

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.