v2.4.0.6
Segment Reporting Disclosures
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Entity's Reportable Segments [Abstract]  
Segment Reporting Disclosures
Segment Reporting Disclosures

The Company operates in three segments of the specialty insurance marketplace: the Excess and Surplus Lines, the Specialty Admitted and the London markets. The Company considers many factors, including the nature of its insurance products, production sources, distribution strategies and regulatory environment in determining how to aggregate operating segments.

All investing activities related to our insurance operations are included in the Investing segment. For purposes of segment reporting, the Other Insurance (Discontinued Lines) segment includes lines of business that have been discontinued in conjunction with acquisitions. The Company’s non-insurance operations primarily consist of controlling interests in various industrial and service businesses. For purposes of segment reporting, the Company’s non-insurance operations are not considered to be a reportable operating segment.

Segment profit or loss for each of the Company’s operating segments is measured by underwriting profit or loss. The property and casualty insurance industry commonly defines underwriting profit or loss as earned premiums net of losses and loss adjustment expenses and underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses. Underwriting profit or loss does not replace operating income or net income computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP as a measure of profitability. Underwriting profit or loss provides a basis for management to evaluate the Company’s underwriting performance. Segment profit for the Investing segment is measured by net investment income and net realized investment gains or losses.

For management reporting purposes, the Company allocates assets to its underwriting, investing and non-insurance operations. Underwriting assets are all assets not specifically allocated to the Investing segment or to the Company’s non-insurance operations. Underwriting assets are not allocated to the Excess and Surplus Lines, Specialty Admitted, London Insurance Market or Other Insurance (Discontinued Lines) segments since the Company does not manage its assets by operating segment. Invested assets related to our insurance operations are allocated to the Investing segment since these assets are available for payment of losses and expenses for all operating segments. The Company does not allocate capital expenditures for long-lived assets to any of its operating segments for management reporting purposes.

a)
The following tables summarize the Company’s segment disclosures.
 
Quarter Ended September 30, 2012
(dollars in thousands)
Excess and
Surplus
Lines
 
Specialty
Admitted
 
London
Insurance
Market
 
Other
Insurance
(Discontinued
Lines)
 
Investing
 
Consolidated
Gross premium volume
$
253,014

 
$
167,747

 
$
190,071

 
$
1

 
$

 
$
610,833

Net written premiums
211,538

 
157,894

 
170,193

 
(1
)
 

 
539,624

Earned premiums
195,478

 
153,009

 
182,052

 
(2
)
 

 
530,537

Losses and loss adjustment expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current accident year
(134,504
)
 
(116,044
)
 
(122,192
)
 

 

 
(372,740
)
Prior accident years
51,310

 
11,504

 
32,744

 
(26,277
)
 

 
69,281

Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Prospective adoption of ASU 2010-26 (1)
(2,125
)
 
(2,600
)
 
(1,809
)
 

 

 
(6,534
)
All other expenses
(88,093
)
 
(60,008
)
 
(76,820
)
 
(386
)
 

 
(225,307
)
Underwriting profit (loss)
22,066

 
(14,139
)
 
13,975

 
(26,665
)
 

 
(4,763
)
Net investment income

 

 

 

 
64,438

 
64,438

Net realized investment gains

 

 

 

 
5,231

 
5,231

Other revenues (insurance)

 
11,536

 
223

 

 

 
11,759

Other expenses (insurance)

 
(12,181
)
 
(970
)
 

 

 
(13,151
)
Segment profit (loss)
$
22,066

 
$
(14,784
)
 
$
13,228

 
$
(26,665
)
 
$
69,669

 
$
63,514

Other revenues (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
153,810

Other expenses (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(132,188
)
Amortization of intangible assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(7,959
)
Interest expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(24,692
)
Income before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
52,485

U.S. GAAP combined ratio (2)
89
%
 
109
%
 
92
%
 
NM

(3) 
 
 
101
%
 
Quarter Ended September 30, 2011
(dollars in thousands)
Excess and
Surplus
Lines
 
Specialty
Admitted
 
London
Insurance
Market
 
Other
Insurance
(Discontinued
Lines)
 
Investing
 
Consolidated
Gross premium volume
$
236,639

 
$
153,753

 
$
194,210

 
$
33

 
$

 
$
584,635

Net written premiums
200,658

 
147,169

 
176,829

 
22

 

 
524,678

Earned premiums
189,695

 
136,783

 
182,710

 
15

 

 
509,203

Losses and loss adjustment expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current accident year
(147,992
)
 
(112,607
)
 
(144,976
)
 

 

 
(405,575
)
Prior accident years
60,475

 
5,973

 
34,721

 
(2,226
)
 

 
98,943

Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses
(81,563
)
 
(51,695
)
 
(69,731
)
 
673

 

 
(202,316
)
Underwriting profit (loss)
20,615

 
(21,546
)
 
2,724

 
(1,538
)
 

 
255

Net investment income

 

 

 

 
62,199

 
62,199

Net realized investment gains

 

 

 

 
12,839

 
12,839

Other revenues (insurance)

 
10,061

 

 

 

 
10,061

Other expenses (insurance)

 
(3,046
)
 
47

 

 

 
(2,999
)
Segment profit (loss)
$
20,615

 
$
(14,531
)
 
$
2,771

 
$
(1,538
)
 
$
75,038

 
$
82,355

Other revenues (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
81,786

Other expenses (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(67,303
)
Amortization of intangible assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(6,023
)
Interest expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(23,656
)
Income before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
67,159

U.S. GAAP combined ratio (2)
89
%
 
116
%
 
99
%
 
NM

(3) 
 
 
100
%
(1)
Effective January 1, 2012, the Company prospectively adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts. At December 31, 2011, deferred policy acquisition costs included approximately $43 million of costs that no longer met the criteria for deferral as of January 1, 2012 and will be recognized into income primarily over the first nine months of 2012, consistent with policy terms. The quarter ended September 30, 2012 included $6.5 million of underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses that were deferred as of December 31, 2011 and no longer met the criteria for deferral as of January 1, 2012.
(2)
The U.S. GAAP combined ratio is a measure of underwriting performance and represents the relationship of incurred losses, loss adjustment expenses and underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses to earned premiums.
(3)
NM – Ratio is not meaningful.
 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
(dollars in thousands)
Excess and
Surplus
Lines
 
Specialty
Admitted
 
London
Insurance
Market
 
Other
Insurance
(Discontinued
Lines)
 
Investing
 
Consolidated
Gross premium volume
$
705,849

 
$
496,019

 
$
704,511

 
$
(6
)
 
$

 
$
1,906,373

Net written premiums
597,742

 
467,722

 
621,947

 
(7
)
 

 
1,687,404

Earned premiums
584,524

 
431,179

 
557,493

 
(7
)
 

 
1,573,189

Losses and loss adjustment expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current accident year
(390,254
)
 
(310,115
)
 
(372,869
)
 

 

 
(1,073,238
)
Prior accident years
132,583

 
27,747

 
118,994

 
(19,160
)
 

 
260,164

Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prospective adoption of ASU 2010-26 (1)
(16,652
)
 
(12,863
)
 
(11,578
)
 

 

 
(41,093
)
All other expenses
(255,295
)
 
(171,111
)
 
(226,770
)
 
(1,053
)
 

 
(654,229
)
Underwriting profit (loss)
54,906

 
(35,163
)
 
65,270

 
(20,220
)
 

 
64,793

Net investment income

 

 

 

 
207,834

 
207,834

Net realized investment gains

 

 

 

 
25,356

 
25,356

Other revenues (insurance)

 
36,065

 
4,753

 

 

 
40,818

Other expenses (insurance)

 
(35,184
)
 
(2,722
)
 

 

 
(37,906
)
Segment profit (loss)
$
54,906

 
$
(34,282
)
 
$
67,301

 
$
(20,220
)
 
$
233,190

 
$
300,895

Other revenues (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
344,960

Other expenses (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(305,556
)
Amortization of intangible assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(25,078
)
Interest expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(69,068
)
Income before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
246,153

U.S. GAAP combined ratio (2)
91
%
 
108
%
 
88
%
 
NM

(3) 
 
 
96
%
 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011
(dollars in thousands)
Excess and
Surplus
Lines
 
Specialty
Admitted
 
London
Insurance
Market
 
Other
Insurance
(Discontinued
Lines)
 
Investing
 
Consolidated
Gross premium volume
$
663,989

 
$
431,604

 
$
676,893

 
$
125

 
$

 
$
1,772,611

Net written premiums
570,243

 
410,700

 
593,440

 
(5
)
 

 
1,574,378

Earned premiums
557,958

 
390,623

 
513,947

 
(13
)
 

 
1,462,515

Losses and loss adjustment expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current accident year
(413,049
)
 
(285,401
)
 
(479,398
)
 

 

 
(1,177,848
)
Prior accident years
169,916

 
7,942

 
69,960

 
2,387

 

 
250,205

Underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses
(250,415
)
 
(148,957
)
 
(202,291
)
 
152

 

 
(601,511
)
Underwriting profit (loss)
64,410

 
(35,793
)
 
(97,782
)
 
2,526

 

 
(66,639
)
Net investment income

 

 

 

 
196,551

 
196,551

Net realized investment gains

 

 

 

 
25,423

 
25,423

Other revenues (insurance)

 
31,622

 

 

 

 
31,622

Other expenses (insurance)

 
(27,374
)
 

 

 

 
(27,374
)
Segment profit (loss)
$
64,410

 
$
(31,545
)
 
$
(97,782
)
 
$
2,526

 
$
221,974

 
$
159,583

Other revenues (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
228,739

Other expenses (non-insurance)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(190,896
)
Amortization of intangible assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(17,586
)
Interest expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(64,516
)
Income before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
115,324

U.S. GAAP combined ratio (2)
88
%
 
109
%
 
119
%
 
NM

(3) 
 
 
105
%
(1)
Effective January 1, 2012, the Company prospectively adopted FASB ASU No. 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts. At December 31, 2011, deferred policy acquisition costs included approximately $43 million of costs that no longer met the criteria for deferral as of January 1, 2012 and will be recognized into income primarily over the first nine months of 2012, consistent with policy terms. The nine months ended September 30, 2012 included $41.1 million of underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses that were deferred as of December 31, 2011 and no longer met the criteria for deferral as of January 1, 2012.
(2)
The U.S. GAAP combined ratio is a measure of underwriting performance and represents the relationship of incurred losses, loss adjustment expenses and underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses to earned premiums.
(3)
NM – Ratio is not meaningful.
b)
The following table reconciles segment assets to the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2012
 
December 31, 2011
Segment assets:
 
 
 
Investing
$
9,137,910

 
$
8,692,391

Underwriting
2,391,813

 
2,209,431

Total segment assets
$
11,529,723

 
$
10,901,822

Non-insurance operations
853,694

 
630,281

Total assets
$
12,383,417

 
$
11,532,103