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Palomar Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted net income rose 31%: Adjusted net income rose 31.4% to $63.8 million, and adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 34.1% to $2.36 from $1.76 a year earlier. Source
  • Gross written premiums up 27%: Gross written premiums rose 27.0% to $630.5 million; net earned premiums rose 59.5% to $287.0 million over the same period. Source
  • Loss ratio rose to 34.5%: The total loss ratio was 34.5%, against 25.7%; the attritional loss ratio was 34.6% and the catastrophe loss ratio was -0.1%. Source
  • Prior-year reserves developed favorably: Prior-year development was favorable by $14.3 million in total, mostly in Inland Marine and Property and in previous years' Crop results. Source
  • Combined ratio rose to 83.3%: Combined ratio was 83.3%, against 78.8%; adjusted combined ratio was 76.7%, against 73.1%, and 76.8% excluding catastrophe losses. Source
  • Net investment income up 49%: Net investment income rose 49.2% to $20.0 million, from higher yields and a larger average investment balance built from operating cash generation. Source

“Gross written premium increased 27% year-over-year, adjusted net income grew 31%, adjusted earnings per share grew 34%, adjusted combined ratio was 77% and our adjusted return on equity was 26%”

Mac Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted net income SourceFull year 2026$270 million to $280 millionRaised from $262 million to $278 million
Catastrophe losses SourceFull year 2026$8 million to $12 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted net income guidance was raised for the third time, according to the chairman and chief executive officer. Source
  • New: Board authorized an initial quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Adjusted net income rose 31%: Adjusted net income rose 31.4% to $63.8 million, and adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 34.1% to $2.36 from $1.76 a year earlier. Source
  • Gross written premiums up 27%: Gross written premiums rose 27.0% to $630.5 million; net earned premiums rose 59.5% to $287.0 million over the same period. Source
  • Net income rose 13%: Net income was $52.6 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, against $46.5 million, or $1.68, a year earlier. Source
  • Return on equity moved both ways: Annualized return on equity was 21.7%, against 22.7%; annualized adjusted return on equity was 26.3%, against 23.7%. Source

Premium mix, ceded and net

  • Net written premiums up 41.5%: Net written premiums rose 41.5% to $325.2 million, while ceded written premiums rose 14.5% to $305.3 million. Source
  • Net earned premium ratio rose: Net earned premiums were 51.9% of gross earned premiums, against 44.0% in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Gross earned premiums up 35%: Gross earned premiums rose 35.3% to $552.9 million; ceded earned premiums rose 16.2% to $265.9 million. Source

“These results demonstrate our ability to execute in a dynamic insurance market while maintaining discipline in underwriting and capital allocation.”

Mac Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Product lines and geography

  • Casualty is the largest line: Casualty gross written premiums rose 36.8% to $197.5 million, 31.3% of the total and the largest product line this quarter. Source
  • Surety & Credit premiums up 236%: Surety & Credit gross written premiums rose 235.6% to $39.2 million, from $11.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Crop premiums rose 96%: Crop gross written premiums rose 96.0% to $77.4 million, 12.3% of the quarter's total. Source
  • Earthquake premiums slightly lower: Earthquake gross written premiums fell 0.7% to $146.6 million; its share of the total fell to 23.3% from 29.8%. Source
  • California share of premiums lower: California gross written premiums were $165.3 million, 26.2% of the total against 33.0% a year earlier; Texas rose to $61.5 million from $35.7 million. Source

Losses and loss ratio

  • Loss ratio rose to 34.5%: The total loss ratio was 34.5%, against 25.7%; the attritional loss ratio was 34.6% and the catastrophe loss ratio was -0.1%. Source
  • Catastrophe events were favorable: Catastrophe events produced $0.4 million of favorable development in the quarter, against $22 thousand of favorable catastrophe losses a year earlier. Source
  • Prior-year reserves developed favorably: Prior-year development was favorable by $14.3 million in total, mostly in Inland Marine and Property and in previous years' Crop results. Source

“Importantly, the dividend does not change our growth strategy or the execution of Palomar 2X; it only enhances our ability to create shareholder value.”

Mac Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Expenses and combined ratio

  • Combined ratio rose to 83.3%: Combined ratio was 83.3%, against 78.8%; adjusted combined ratio was 76.7%, against 73.1%, and 76.8% excluding catastrophe losses. Source
  • Expense ratio fell to 48.8%: Expense ratio was 48.8%, against 53.1%, as acquisition and other underwriting expenses grew more slowly than net earned premiums. Source
  • Acquisition and other costs rose: Acquisition expenses rose 38.0% to $71.3 million; other underwriting expenses rose 52.5% to $69.4 million. Source

Investment income and tax

  • Net investment income up 49%: Net investment income rose 49.2% to $20.0 million, from higher yields and a larger average investment balance built from operating cash generation. Source
  • Portfolio duration and invested assets: Fixed-maturity duration including cash equivalents was 4.33 years at June 30, 2026; cash and invested assets totaled $1.7 billion. Source
  • Realized and unrealized gains: Net realized and unrealized gains on investments were $6.8 million, against $8.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose: Effective tax rate was 24.7%, against 22.3%; management attributed the gap from the 21% statutory rate mainly to non-deductible executive compensation. Source

Capital, equity and buybacks

  • Stockholders' equity reached $981M: Stockholders' equity was $980.9 million at June 30, 2026, against $847.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Second-quarter buybacks of $41.0M: The company repurchased 368,719 shares for $41.0 million, against 190,255 shares for $23.1 million in the first quarter. Source
  • Term loan now on balance sheet: A term loan of $295.8 million appears on the June 30, 2026 balance sheet, against none at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Tangible equity lower after acquisitions: Tangible stockholders' equity was $744.2 million at June 30, 2026, against $881.6 million at December 31, 2025; goodwill and intangibles were $236.8 million. Source

Strategy, acquisitions and systems

  • PCSC contributed $21.6M of premium: The Gray Casualty & Surety Company, renamed PCSC, wrote $21.6 million of gross written premiums this quarter; the first quarter included two months of its activity. Source
  • PLMR.Farm crop system launched: Management listed the launch of PLMR.Farm, a crop policy administration system, among the quarter's operational achievements. Source
  • Product categories recast for 2026: Product categories were updated in 2026 to match current strategy; prior-year amounts were reclassified, and total premiums are unchanged. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 August 2026

  • Dividend payment and record date: The $0.45 initial quarterly dividend is payable September 2, 2026 to holders of record as of August 19, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio Source83.3% (second quarter 2026), against 78.8%
Net premiums written Source$325,177 thousand, against $229,782 thousand
Prior-year reserve development Source$14.3 million favorable ($14.1 million attritional; $0.2 million catastrophe)
Catastrophe losses Source$(418) thousand, favorable, against $(22) thousand a year earlier
Investment income Source$19,950 thousand, against $13,370 thousand (net investment income)

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Losses on derivative instruments were $6.2 million in the quarter, which the company included within losses and loss adjustment expenses. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said earnings, returns and the balance sheet provide capacity both to invest in the Palomar 2X businesses and to return capital. Source

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.