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First American Financial Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 15 percent: Total revenue was $2,117.3 million against $1,841.3 million. Net income was $218.5 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, against $146.1 million, or $1.41. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 36 percent: Adjusted EPS was $2.08 against $1.53 a year earlier. Adjusted net income was $214.4 million against $158.4 million. Source
  • Title segment margin rose: Title revenue was $2,014.6 million against $1,722.9 million. Title pretax income was $315.9 million against $216.7 million, a 15.7 percent margin against 12.6 percent; adjusted margin was 14.0 percent against 13.2 percent. Source
  • Commercial revenue up 34 percent: U.S. Commercial revenue was $314.1 million against $234.2 million. Management said results were driven by this business. Source
  • Closed orders slipped 1 percent: Direct premiums and escrow fees were $689 million, up 15 percent, while the number of direct orders closed fell 1 percent in domestic operations. Source
  • Buybacks of $20 million in quarter: Repurchased 330,405 shares for $20 million at an average of $61.99. First-quarter buybacks were 556,336 shares for $33 million at $60.21. Source
  • AI named primary strategic focus: Management named leveraging AI across the business as its primary strategic focus. Source

“Our earnings momentum continued in the second quarter, with adjusted earnings per share up 36 percent compared with the prior year”

Mark Seaton, chief executive officer at First American Financial Corporation

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Title claims rate Sourcecurrent policy year3.75 percentKept

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 15 percent: Total revenue was $2,117.3 million against $1,841.3 million. Net income was $218.5 million, or $2.12 per diluted share, against $146.1 million, or $1.41. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 36 percent: Adjusted EPS was $2.08 against $1.53 a year earlier. Adjusted net income was $214.4 million against $158.4 million. Source
  • Investment gains boosted GAAP results: Net investment gains were $12 million, or 9 cents per diluted share, against net investment losses of $10 million a year earlier. Purchase-related amortization was $7 million, or 5 cents. Source

Segments and regions

  • Title segment margin rose: Title revenue was $2,014.6 million against $1,722.9 million. Title pretax income was $315.9 million against $216.7 million, a 15.7 percent margin against 12.6 percent; adjusted margin was 14.0 percent against 13.2 percent. Source
  • Home Warranty revenue and pretax rose: Home Warranty revenue was $113.8 million against $110.2 million, and pretax income was $24.2 million, up 9 percent. Pretax margin was 21.3 percent against 20.2 percent; adjusted margin was 20.2 percent against 20.7 percent. Source
  • Home claim loss rate eased: The claim loss rate was 40 percent against 41 percent, attributed to lower claim frequency, partly offset by higher claim severity. Source
  • Corporate loss rose, ex-gains improved: Corporate pretax loss was $56.2 million against $43.8 million. Excluding investment gains and losses it was $20 million against $40 million; the current quarter had a $7 million insurance recovery. Source

“Our adjusted pretax title margin was 14 percent for the quarter”

Mark Seaton, chief executive officer at First American Financial Corporation

Products and customers

  • Commercial revenue up 34 percent: U.S. Commercial revenue was $314.1 million against $234.2 million. Management said results were driven by this business. Source
  • Commercial order volumes and size: Commercial open orders were 29,700 against 27,900, and closed orders were 15,700 against 15,300. Average revenue per commercial order was $19,980 against $15,267. Source
  • Information revenue up 12 percent: Information and other revenue rose on subservicing growth, higher demand for non-insured information products, and refinance activity in Canadian operations. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Personnel costs rose 9 percent: The increase was attributed to incentive compensation from higher revenue and profitability, and higher salary expense. Source
  • Other operating expenses up 15 percent: The rise was mainly due to higher production expense on higher volumes, and an increase in software expense. Source
  • Claims provision held at 3.0 percent: The provision was $45 million, or 3.0 percent of title premiums and escrow fees, unchanged from the prior year. Source
  • Success ratio rose to 66 percent: Success ratio was 66 percent against 62 percent a year earlier. Personnel and other operating expenses were 77.8 percent of net operating revenues, against 79.5 percent. Source
  • Revenue per direct order rose: Average revenue per direct title order was $4,572 against $3,897 in the second quarter of 2025, mainly from commercial transactions. Source

“As these capabilities evolve, we will continue investing in our people, platforms, and products”

Mark Seaton, chief executive officer at First American Financial Corporation

Demand and the order book

  • Closed orders slipped 1 percent: Direct premiums and escrow fees were $689 million, up 15 percent, while the number of direct orders closed fell 1 percent in domestic operations. Source
  • Revenue per order drove premium growth: Direct premium growth came mainly from a higher average revenue per closed order, up 17 percent. Source
  • Open orders per day edged up: Total open orders per day were 2,941 against 2,920 a year earlier; closed orders per day were 2,145 against 2,161. Source
  • Agent premiums rose 14 percent: Agent premiums were $820 million, up 14 percent; the company said they are recorded on about a one-quarter lag to direct premiums. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Debt-to-capital ratio at 31.4 percent: Debt-to-capital was 31.4 percent, or 21.5 percent excluding $1.0 billion of secured financings payable. The first quarter had 32.2 percent and 21.9 percent. Source
  • Buybacks of $20 million in quarter: Repurchased 330,405 shares for $20 million at an average of $61.99. First-quarter buybacks were 556,336 shares for $33 million at $60.21. Source
  • Dividend rose to $0.55 per share: Cash dividends declared were $0.55 per share against $0.54; six-month dividends declared were $1.10 against $1.08. Source
  • Cash and investments increased: At June 30, 2026, cash was $2,624.8 million and investments were $10,733.7 million, against $1,387.3 million and $9,394.3 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Strategy and investment

  • AI named primary strategic focus: Management named leveraging AI across the business as its primary strategic focus. Source
  • AI built into workflows: AI is being integrated into workflows to help employees work more effectively, improve customer experience and change how the company operates. Source
  • Investment in people and platforms: Management said it will keep investing in people, platforms and products as the capabilities evolve, to drive innovation. Source

People and leadership

  • Executive separation cost last year: The prior-year corporate loss included a one-time $13 million expense for executive separation costs. Source
  • Named a top workplace again: First American was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Great Place to Work and Fortune Magazine for the eleventh consecutive year. Source
  • Mark Seaton quoted on results: The chief executive officer is quoted on the quarter's earnings momentum, title margin and AI investment. Source

Coming up, as management said on 22 July 2026

  • Monthly title order counts posted: Opened and closed U.S. direct title order counts are posted on the investor website about 10 to 12 days after each month ends. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Investment income Source$164 million, up 11 percent
Prior-year reserve development Sourcenet decrease of $11 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: A shift toward lower premium refinance transactions partly offset the rise in average revenue per order. Source
  • Operational: Higher production expense on higher volumes and higher software expense raised other operating expenses this quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The first-quarter release stated a commitment to deploying AI across the company. The second-quarter release names AI as the primary strategic focus, with no progress measure given.

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.