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Radian Group Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Acquisition costs reduced GAAP pretax income: Pretax income from continuing operations was $174 million, against $199 million a year earlier. Adjusted pretax operating income was $232 million, against $201 million, and excludes these items. Source
  • Mortgage adjusted pretax income $221 million: Mortgage adjusted pre-tax operating income was $220.8 million, against $218.9 million a year earlier and $222.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • New insurance written up 42%: New insurance written was $13.5 billion, up from $9.5 billion a year earlier and down from $15.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • Mortgage combined ratio rose to 30.2%: Mortgage combined ratio was 30.2%, against 28.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 27.8% a year earlier. The Mortgage expense ratio was 20.0%, against 21.2% a year earlier. Source
  • Mortgage prior-period reserves developed favorably: Favorable development on prior-period mortgage defaults reduced the provision, which was $24 million for the quarter. Source
  • Holding company liquidity fell to $391M: Available holding company liquidity was $391 million, against $1.8 billion at December 31, 2025, after funding the Inigo acquisition. Undrawn revolving credit capacity was $350 million. Source
  • Inigo acquisition closed February 2: Radian Group completed its acquisition of Inigo Limited, a Lloyd's of London specialty insurer, funded from available liquidity. The Specialty segment now reports Inigo's results. Source

“This quarter marks a defining milestone for Radian, our first as a global multi-line specialty insurer following the successful acquisition of Inigo.”

Rick Thornberry, Radian Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Radian Guaranty ordinary dividends to holding company Source2026over $600 millionKept
Divestiture of Title and Real Estate Services businesses Sourcethird quarter of 2026by the end of the third quarter of 2026Kept
Share repurchase authority remaining Sourceafter April 2026 repurchases$748 million

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Radian now reports two segments, Mortgage and Specialty, plus a Corporate category for holding company activities, with prior periods recast. Source
  • New: Radian decided in the first quarter of 2026 to wind down its Mortgage Conduit business, as an update to the 2025 divestiture plan. Source
  • Ended: The $900 million share repurchase authorization is fully used. Future repurchases will be made under the $750 million authorization approved in May 2025. Source

Results and profitability

  • Adjusted EPS rose while GAAP EPS fell: Diluted net income from continuing operations was $0.93 per share, against $1.03 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted net operating income per share was $1.27, against $1.04. Source
  • Acquisition costs reduced GAAP pretax income: Pretax income from continuing operations was $174 million, against $199 million a year earlier. Adjusted pretax operating income was $232 million, against $201 million, and excludes these items. Source
  • Adjusted return on equity rose to 14.7%: Adjusted net operating return on equity was 14.7%, against 13.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 13.4% a year earlier. GAAP return on equity from continuing operations was 10.8%. Source

Segments and Corporate costs

  • Mortgage adjusted pretax income $221 million: Mortgage adjusted pre-tax operating income was $220.8 million, against $218.9 million a year earlier and $222.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • Specialty adjusted pretax income $40 million: Specialty adjusted pretax operating income was $40.1 million for the period from the February 2, 2026 acquisition date. The segment has no prior-year comparison. Source
  • Corporate loss widened on interest: Corporate adjusted pretax operating loss was $29.1 million, against $17.8 million a year earlier. Corporate interest expense includes $10 million on an intercompany loan from Radian Guaranty, eliminated in consolidation. Source

“By uniting two world-class insurance businesses, we have created a more diversified and resilient enterprise, as reflected in our exceptional first quarter results,”

Rick Thornberry, Radian Chief Executive Officer

Mortgage volumes and credit

  • New insurance written up 42%: New insurance written was $13.5 billion, up from $9.5 billion a year earlier and down from $15.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • Refinances rose to 21% of volume: Refinances were 21.4% of first quarter new insurance written, against 14.8% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 4.4% a year earlier. Purchases were 78.6%. Source
  • Insurance in force reached $282 billion: Primary insurance in force was $281.7 billion, down from $282.5 billion at December 31, 2025. Annualized quarterly persistency was 81.3%, against 81.6% in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Default rate fell from year-end: Primary loans in default were 2.51% of the portfolio, against 2.56% at December 31, 2025 and 2.33% at March 31, 2025. Source

Specialty after the acquisition

  • Specialty gross premiums written $162 million: Specialty gross premiums written were $162 million from February 2 to March 31, 2026: $82 million insurance and $80 million reinsurance. Inigo's January 2026 gross premiums were $254 million. Source
  • Specialty net premiums earned $164 million: Specialty net premiums earned were $164.4 million. Specialty provision for losses was $86.3 million, including favorable development on prior-year loss reserves of $13 million. Source
  • Specialty loss and expense ratios: The Specialty loss ratio was 52.5% and the expense ratio was 32.8%, giving a combined ratio of 85.3%. Source

Costs and expenses

  • Other operating expenses up on deal costs: Other operating expenses were $98.2 million, against $57.9 million a year earlier, including $22 million of acquisition-related expenses in the quarter. Source
  • Acquired VOBA amortization added cost: Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs and VOBA was $62.1 million, against $6.4 million a year earlier, with $56.1 million of VOBA amortization. Source
  • Interest expense rose with Inigo facility: Interest expense was $20.6 million, against $16.5 million a year earlier, including $2.3 million of letter of credit fees on Inigo's facility. Amortization of other acquired intangibles was $3.9 million. Source

Margins and reserve development

  • Mortgage combined ratio rose to 30.2%: Mortgage combined ratio was 30.2%, against 28.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 27.8% a year earlier. The Mortgage expense ratio was 20.0%, against 21.2% a year earlier. Source
  • Mortgage prior-period reserves developed favorably: Favorable development on prior-period mortgage defaults reduced the provision, which was $24 million for the quarter. Source
  • Mortgage loss ratio rose to 10.2%: Mortgage loss ratio was 10.2%, against 9.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 6.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Currency and instrument losses excluded: Net losses on financial instruments and foreign exchange were $8.9 million, against $2.0 million a year earlier. These are excluded from adjusted pretax operating income. Source

Capital, liquidity and returns

  • Book value per share reached $35.67: Book value per share was $35.67, up from $35.29 at December 31, 2025. Accumulated other comprehensive loss was $1.94 per share. Source
  • Radian Guaranty paid $140 million dividend: Radian Guaranty paid a $140 million ordinary dividend to the holding company in the first quarter. PMIERs excess Available Assets were $1.6 billion at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Holding company liquidity fell to $391M: Available holding company liquidity was $391 million, against $1.8 billion at December 31, 2025, after funding the Inigo acquisition. Undrawn revolving credit capacity was $350 million. Source
  • Share repurchases and dividends in quarter: First quarter repurchases were 1.5 million shares for $50 million. April repurchases were 1.9 million shares for $65 million. Dividends paid were $35 million at $0.255 per share. Source

Strategy and divestitures

  • Inigo acquisition closed February 2: Radian Group completed its acquisition of Inigo Limited, a Lloyd's of London specialty insurer, funded from available liquidity. The Specialty segment now reports Inigo's results. Source
  • Title and real estate sales in discussion: Discussions with prospective buyers for the Title and Real Estate Services businesses are ongoing. These businesses are reported in discontinued operations. Source
  • Held-for-sale distributions reduced carrying value: Radian Group received $46 million of distributions from businesses held for sale in the first quarter. Net carrying value of those assets and liabilities fell to $61 million at March 31, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Combined ratio - Mortgage Source30.2%
Combined ratio - Specialty Source85.3%
Net premiums written Source$381,748 thousand
Prior-year reserve development SourceMortgage $35,563 thousand favorable
Net investment income Source$69,698 thousand
Book value per share Source$35.67

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Radian Guaranty's dividends to the holding company require prior approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Source
  • Demand: Quarterly persistency may be affected by seasonality and refinance activity, so it may not indicate full-year trends. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management updated the 2025 divestiture plan, deciding to wind down the Mortgage Conduit business in the first quarter of 2026. 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.