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Essent Group Ltd.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 August 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and diluted EPS: Net income was $189.7 million, compared with $195.3 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $2.08, against $1.93. Weighted average diluted shares were 91.4 million, against 101.1 million. Source
  • Provision for losses and LAE rose: Provision for losses and LAE was $49.0 million, against $17.1 million a year earlier and $48.2 million in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • New insurance written rose: New insurance written was $14.1 billion in the quarter, up from $11.1 billion in the first quarter and $12.5 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Severity rose to 85%: Severity was 85% in the quarter, against 67% a year earlier and 84% in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Share buybacks year to date: Through July 31, 2026, the company had repurchased 5.8 million common shares for $348 million in the year to date. Source

“We are pleased with our second quarter 2026 financial results, which reflect strong profitability, continued growth in book value per share and the resilience of our operating model,”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Starting in the quarter ended June 30, 2026, a de minimis amount of new insurance written was submitted with a VantageScore credit score rather than a FICO score. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and diluted EPS: Net income was $189.7 million, compared with $195.3 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $2.08, against $1.93. Weighted average diluted shares were 91.4 million, against 101.1 million. Source
  • Pre-tax income slightly lower: Income before income taxes was $230.3 million, against $231.2 million in the second quarter of 2025. The six-month figure was $437.0 million. Source
  • Other invested assets income rose: Income from other invested assets was $19.4 million, against $4.5 million a year earlier. The six-month figure was $29.6 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Mortgage Insurance pre-tax income: Mortgage Insurance pre-tax income was $212.6 million, against $220.1 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $190.1 million in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Reinsurance premiums earned rose: Reinsurance net premiums earned were $43.6 million, up from $29.3 million in the first quarter and $13.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Corporate & Other pre-tax result: Corporate & Other, which includes title insurance and holding company treasury, had pre-tax income of $0.6 million, against a loss of $7.3 million a year earlier. Source

“The consistent cash flow generation of our mortgage insurance business, combined with our strong capital position, allows us to take a balanced approach to capital management and to continue creating long-term value for our shareholders.”

Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Products, borrowers and geography

  • Credit scores of new business: Weighted average credit score on new insurance written was 751 in the quarter, against 753 a year earlier. The six-month figure was 754. Source
  • Refinance share of new business rose: Refinance loans were 12.6% of new insurance written in the quarter, against 7.4% a year earlier. Purchase loans were 87.4% of the quarter's volume. Source
  • Concentration in three states: Florida, California and Texas made up 35.5% of insurance in force at June 30, 2026, at 12.1%, 11.9% and 11.5% respectively. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Provision for losses and LAE rose: Provision for losses and LAE was $49.0 million, against $17.1 million a year earlier and $48.2 million in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Mortgage loss ratio increased: The Mortgage Insurance loss ratio was 13.6% in the quarter, against 7.0% a year earlier and 17.4% in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Other operating expenses rose: Other underwriting and operating expenses were $75.3 million, up from $62.8 million a year earlier. The six-month figure was $148.2 million. Source
  • Discrete tax expense recorded: The release lists discrete tax expense of $3,954 thousand in the quarter, associated with realized and unrealized gains, against $1,112 thousand a year earlier. Source
  • Mortgage expense ratio: The Mortgage Insurance expense ratio was 14.8% in the quarter, against 15.3% in the second quarter of 2025. Source

Demand and the order book

  • New insurance written rose: New insurance written was $14.1 billion in the quarter, up from $11.1 billion in the first quarter and $12.5 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Insurance in force increased: Insurance in force was $249.7 billion at June 30, 2026, against $247.9 billion at March 31 and $246.8 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Annual persistency declined: Annual persistency was 84.0%, against 84.7% in the first quarter and 85.8% a year earlier. Source

Credit performance and reserves

  • Cure rate lower on recent defaults: The cure rate was 23% for the quarter, against 65% in the first quarter and 87% a year earlier. Source
  • Severity rose to 85%: Severity was 85% in the quarter, against 67% a year earlier and 84% in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Average claim payment increased: The average amount paid per claim was $55 thousand, against $42 thousand a year earlier and $57 thousand in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Loans in default by rate: Loans in default were 20,278, or 2.53% of insurance in force, against 17,255 loans, or 2.12%, in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Reserves for losses and LAE grew: Reserve for losses and LAE was $475.0 million at June 30, against $458.9 million at March 31 and $346.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Reserve per default and 3+ month rate: Total reserve per default was $23.4 and the 3+ month default rate was 1.75% at June 30, 2026. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Share buybacks year to date: Through July 31, 2026, the company had repurchased 5.8 million common shares for $348 million in the year to date. Source
  • Quarterly dividend of $0.35: The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, the same amount declared with the first-quarter release. Source
  • Book value growth including dividends: Book value per share inclusive of common dividends rose 12.9% over the twelve months to June 30, 2026. Source
  • Holding company cash: Cash and investments available for sale at the holding companies were $1.11 billion at June 30, against $1.14 billion at March 31. Source
  • PMIERs sufficiency ratio: Essent Guaranty's PMIERs sufficiency ratio was 172%, against 174% at March 31, 2026 and 176% at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Debt-to-capital ratio: Debt-to-capital was 8.11%, against 8.07% at March 31, 2026 and 8.10% a year earlier. Source

Investments and investment returns

  • Portfolio yield in the quarter: The pre-tax yield on cash and investments available for sale was 3.99% for the quarter and 3.89% for the six months ended June 30, 2026. Source
  • Return on other invested assets: Return on other invested assets was 18.85% in the quarter and 14.82% for the six months ended June 30, 2026. Source
  • First-half investment income: Net investment income for the first half of 2026 was $120.9 million, against $117.5 million a year earlier. Source

Reinsurance and ceded business

  • Ceded premiums rose slightly: Ceded premiums were $35.1 million, against $33.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Radnor Re insurance-linked note deals: Radnor Re insurance-linked note deals showed $29.4 billion of remaining risk in force and a $600.3 million reduction in PMIERs minimum required assets. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 August 2026

  • Dividend payment date: The $0.35 quarterly dividend is payable September 10, 2026 to shareholders of record on August 31, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio, Mortgage Insurance Source28.4% (three months ended June 30, 2026)
Combined ratio, Reinsurance Source77.9% (three months ended June 30, 2026)
Net premiums written Source$307,285 thousand (three months ended June 30, 2026)
Prior-year reserve development Source$(29,002) thousand (three months ended June 30, 2026)
Investment income Source$61,612 thousand (three months ended June 30, 2026)
Book value per share Source$63.01 at June 30, 2026

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.