FNF Reports First Quarter 2019 Diluted EPS of $0.74 and Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.43, Pre-Tax Title Margin of 19.2% and Adjusted Pre-Tax Title Margin of 11.3%

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelity National Financial, Inc. FNF, a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries, today reported operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019.

  • Total revenue of approximately $1.7 billion in the first quarter versus $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2018
  • First quarter net earnings of $206 million and adjusted net earnings of $118 million versus net earnings of $97 million and adjusted net earnings of $118 million for the first quarter of 2018
  • First quarter diluted EPS of $0.74 and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.43 versus diluted EPS of $0.35 and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.42 in the first quarter of 2018
  • Realized gains were $142 million in the first quarter versus realized gains of $1 million in the first quarter of 2018, primarily due to the adoption of a new accounting standard in 2018 that requires mark to market accounting treatment of equity and preferred stock securities and recognition of the related changes in fair value in realized gains and losses, whether the securities were disposed of in the quarter or continue to be held in our investment portfolio

Title

  • Total revenue of approximately $1.7 billion versus approximately $1.6 billion in total revenue in the first quarter of 2018
  • Pre-tax earnings of $292 million and adjusted pre-tax earnings of $172 million versus pre-tax earnings of $163 million and adjusted pre-tax earnings of $186 million in the first quarter of 2018
  • Pre-tax title margin of 19.2% and adjusted pre-tax title margin of 11.3% versus pre-tax title margin of 10.3% and adjusted pre-tax title margin of 11.7% in the first quarter of 2018
  • First quarter purchase orders opened decreased 6% on a daily basis and purchase orders closed decreased 9% on a daily basis versus the first quarter of 2018
  • Total commercial revenue of $228 million, a 1% decrease versus total commercial revenue in the first quarter of 2018, driven by a 5% decrease in closed orders offset by a 4% increase in total commercial fee per file; first quarter total commercial orders opened decreased 6% compared to the prior year
  • Overall first quarter average fee per file of $2,567, a 10% increase versus the first quarter of 2018

Title Orders







Direct Orders Opened *





Direct Orders Closed *

Month



 / (% Purchase)



 / (% Purchase)

January 2019





142,000

65%





81,000

66%

February 2019





135,000

66%





81,000

65%

March 2019





161,000

65%





101,000

66%















First Quarter 2019





438,000

65%





263,000

66%

















































Direct Orders Opened *





Direct Orders Closed *

Month



 / (% Purchase)





 / (% Purchase)

January 2018





158,000

62%





101,000

58%

February 2018





148,000

66%





96,000

62%

March 2018





172,000

69%





116,000

66%















First Quarter 2018





478,000

66%





313,000

62%





































* Includes an immaterial number of non-purchase and non-refinance orders

 





Open



Closed



Commercial









Commercial



Commercial



Revenue



Commercial





Orders



Orders



(In millions)



Fee Per File

First Quarter 2019 - Total Commercial



49,800



30,000



$228



$7,600

First Quarter 2018 - Total Commercial



52,800



31,500



$230



$7,300

 

"The first quarter was a strong start to the year for our title business, as we generated adjusted pre-tax title earnings of $172 million and an 11.3% adjusted pre-tax title margin," said Chairman William P. Foley, II.  "The 11.3% adjusted pre-tax title margin was only a 40 basis point, or 3%, decline from the first quarter of 2018, despite a 16% decrease in direct orders closed, comprised of a 9% decline in purchase orders closed, a 21% decline in refinance orders closed and a 5% decline in total commercial orders closed.  Additionally, the recent decline in mortgage rates has allowed for an increase in refinance open order counts, as March refinance orders opened increased by 16% versus March of 2018 and the first three weeks of April saw an increase of 42% over the prior year period.  Also, while first quarter purchase orders opened declined by 6% versus the first quarter of 2018, the first three weeks of April saw a decline of only 2% versus the prior year period.  We remain optimistic that the strong economy, stable or declining mortgage rates, slower home price appreciation and the possibility of increased residential supply will also provide the backdrop for a restart of the strength in the residential purchase market as we move into the seasonally stronger spring and summer months.

"With respect to the acquisition of Stewart Information Services, we continue to respond to the Second Request of the FTC.  We have also filed a new Form A application with the New York State Department of Financial Services, which disapproved a prior application, to acquire control of Stewart Title Insurance Company.  We will continue to respond to the FTC's Second Request and maintain discussions with all other relevant regulatory bodies to seek approval of the proposed acquisition.  We remain confident that the Stewart acquisition will create meaningful long-term value for our shareholders."

Conference Call

We will host a call with investors and analysts to discuss first quarter 2019 FNF results on Thursday, April 25, 2019, beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Events and Multimedia page of the FNF Investor Relations website at fnf.com.  The conference call replay will be available via webcast through the FNF Investor Relations website at fnf.com.  The telephone replay will be available from 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 25, 2019, through May 2, 2019, by dialing 800-475-6701 (USA) or 320-365-3844 (International).  The access code will be 465966.

About Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. FNF is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries.  FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States.  More information about FNF can be found at fnf.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is the term used to refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting. GAAP includes the standards, conventions, and rules accountants follow in recording and summarizing transactions and in the preparation of financial statements. In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with GAAP, FNF has provided non-GAAP financial measures, which it believes are useful to help investors better understand its financial performance, competitive position and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP measures include adjusted pre-tax earnings, adjusted pre-tax earnings as a percentage of adjusted revenue (adjusted pre-tax title margin), adjusted net earnings, and adjusted EPS.

Any non-GAAP measures should be considered in context with the GAAP financial presentation and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP net earnings. Further, FNF's non-GAAP measures may be calculated differently from similarly titled measures of other companies. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to related GAAP measures are provided below.

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The risks and uncertainties which forward-looking statements are subject to include, but are not limited to: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; weakness or adverse changes in the level of real estate activity, which may be caused by, among other things, high or increasing interest rates, a limited supply of mortgage funding or a weak U. S. economy; our potential inability to find suitable acquisition candidates; our dependence on distributions from our title insurance underwriters as a main source of cash flow; significant competition that our operating subsidiaries face; compliance with extensive government regulation of our operating subsidiaries; the risk that the necessary regulatory approvals of our acquisition of Stewart Information Services Corporation ("Stewart") may not be obtained or may be obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated;  risks that any of the closing conditions to the proposed Stewart merger may not be satisfied in a timely manner; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully, that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected or that the expected benefits of the acquisition will not be realized; and other risks detailed in the "Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information," "Risk Factors" and other sections of FNF's Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

FNF-E

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

FIRST QUARTER SEGMENT INFORMATION

(In millions, except order information in thousands)

(Unaudited)









Consolidated



Title



Corporate and

Other

Three Months Ended







March 31, 2019







Direct title premiums



$

440



$

440



$

Agency title premiums



552



552



Escrow, title related and other fees



534



481



53

Total title and escrow



1,526



1,473



53















Interest and investment income



54



48



6

Realized gains and losses, net



142



142



Total revenue



1,722



1,663



59















Personnel costs



592



551



41

Agent commissions



421



421



Other operating expenses



344



315



29

Depreciation and amortization



44



39



5

Claim loss expense



45



45



Interest expense



12





12

Total expenses



1,458



1,371



87















Pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

264



$

292



$

(28)





















Non-GAAP adjustments before taxes













  Realized (gains) and losses, net



(142)



(142)



  Purchase price amortization



27



22



5

  Transaction costs



2





2

 Total non-GAAP adjustments before taxes



$

(113)



$

(120)



$

7















Adjusted pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

151



$

172



$

(21)

Adjusted pre-tax margin



9.6%



11.3%

















Pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

264



$

292



$

(28)

  Income tax expense (benefit)



65



71



(6)

  Earnings from equity investments



7



7

















Net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders



$

206



$

228



$

(22)















EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - basic



$

0.75









EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - diluted



$

0.74























FNF, Inc. weighted average shares - basic



273









FNF, Inc. weighted average shares - diluted



277









 

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

FIRST QUARTER SEGMENT INFORMATION

(In millions, except order information in thousands)

(Unaudited)









Consolidated



Title



Corporate and

Other

Three Months Ended







March 31, 2019







Net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders



$

206



$

228



$

(22)















 Total non-GAAP, pre-tax adjustments



$

(113)



$

(120)



$

7

  Income taxes on non-GAAP adjustments



28



30



(2)

  Noncontrolling interest on non-GAAP adjustments



(3)



(3)



Total non-GAAP adjustments



$

(88)



$

(93)



$

5

















Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common

shareholders



$

118



$

135



$

(17)



















Adjusted EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - diluted



$

0.43























Direct orders opened (000's)



438



438





Direct orders closed (000's)



263



263





Fee per file



$

2,567



$

2,567





Actual title claims paid



$

49























Cash flows used in operations



$

(4)









 

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

FIRST QUARTER SEGMENT INFORMATION

(In millions, except order information in thousands)

(Unaudited)









Consolidated



Title



Corporate and

Other

Three Months Ended







March 31, 2018







Direct title premiums



$

472



$

472



$

Agency title premiums



564



564



Escrow, title related and other fees



618



516



102

Total title and escrow



1,654



1,552



102















Interest and investment income



38



37



1

Realized gains and losses, net



1



1



Total revenue



1,693



1,590



103















Personnel costs



607



579



28

Agent commissions



431



431



Other operating expenses



423



330



93

Depreciation and amortization



47



40



7

Claim loss expense



47



47



Interest expense



11





11

Total expenses



1,566



1,427



139





















Pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

127



$

163



$

(36)















Non-GAAP adjustments before taxes













  Realized (gains) and losses, net



(1)



(1)



  Purchase price amortization



29



23



6

  Other adjustments



3



1



2

 Total non-GAAP adjustments before taxes



$

31



$

23



$

8















Adjusted pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

158



$

186



$

(28)

Adjusted pre-tax margin



9.3%



11.7%

















Pre-tax earnings (loss)



$

127



$

163



$

(36)















  Income tax expense (benefit)



31



40



(9)

  Earnings from equity investments



2



1



1

  Non-controlling interests



1



1

















Net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders



$

97



$

123



$

(26)















EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - basic



$

0.36











EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - diluted



$

0.35























FNF, Inc. weighted average shares - basic



273









FNF, Inc. weighted average shares - diluted



280









 

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

FIRST QUARTER SEGMENT INFORMATION

(In millions, except order information in thousands)

(Unaudited)









Consolidated



Title



Corporate and

Other

Three Months Ended







March 31, 2018







Net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders



$

97



$

123



$

(26)















 Total non-GAAP, pre-tax adjustments



$

31



$

23



$

8

  Income taxes on non-GAAP adjustments



(7)



(5)



(2)

  Noncontrolling interest on non-GAAP adjustments



(3)



(3)



Total non-GAAP adjustments



$

21



$

15



$

6





















Adjusted net earnings (loss) attributable to FNF, Inc. common

shareholders



$

118



$

138



$

(20)















Adjusted EPS attributable to FNF, Inc. common shareholders - diluted



$

0.42























Direct orders opened (000's)



478



478





Direct orders closed (000's)



313



313





Fee per file



$

2,344



$

2,344





Actual title claims paid



$

51



$

51



















Cash flows provided by operations



$

18











 

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

QUARTERLY OPERATING STATISTICS

(Unaudited)







Q1 2019



Q4 2018



Q3 2018



Q2 2018



Q1 2018



Q4 2017



Q3 2017



Q2 2017

Quarterly Opened Orders ('000's except % data)

Total opened orders*



438



379



456



505



478



445



501



524

Total opened orders per day*



7.2



6.0



7.2



7.9



7.7



7.2



8.0



8.2

Purchase % of opened orders



65%



67%



69%



71%



66%



60%



62%



66%

Refinance % of opened orders



35%



33%



31%



29%



34%



40%



38%



34%

Total closed orders*



263



301



339



362



313



357



367



370

Total closed orders per day*



4.3



4.8



5.4



5.7



5.0



5.8



5.8



5.8

Purchase % of closed orders



66%



69%



71%



71%



62%



61%



65%



67%

Refinance % of closed orders



34%



31%



29%



29%



38%



39%



35%



33%



















































Commercial (millions, except orders in '000's)

Total commercial revenue



$

228



$

324



$

271



$

276



$

230



$

288



$

250



$

261

Total commercial opened orders



49.8



46.0



48.9



54.2



52.8



46.3



48.3



50.8

Total commercial closed orders



30.0



35.2



31.2



35.1



31.5



33.2



33.4



33.6



































National commercial revenue



$

123



$

189



$

150



$

147



$

122



$

165



$

138



$

148

National commercial opened orders



20.6



19.1



19.8



23.0



21.1



19.0



19.9



22.0

National commercial closed orders



10.5



13.2



12.0



12.9



11.2



12.1



13.1



13.3



































Total Fee Per File

Fee per file



$

2,567



$

2,803



$

2,623



$

2,579



$

2,344



$

2,425



$

2,368



$

2,428

Residential and local commercial fee per file



$

2,187



$

2,275



$

2,261



$

2,253



$

2,027



$

2,032



$

2,066



$

2,104

Residential fee per file



$

1,919



$

1,955



$

2,008



$

2,012



$

1,789



$

1,784



$

1,856



$

1,895

Total commercial fee per file



$

7,600



$

9,200



$

8,700



$

7,900



$

7,300



$

8,700



$

7,500



$

7,800

National commercial fee per file



$

11,700



$

14,400



$

12,500



$

11,400



$

10,900



$

13,600



$

10,500



$

11,100



































Total Staffing

Total field operations employees



10,000



10,200



10,800



11,000



10,900



11,200



11,700



11,300



* Includes an immaterial number of non-purchase and non-refinance orders

 

 

FIDELITY NATIONAL FINANCIAL, INC.

SUMMARY BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION

(In millions)







FNF, Inc.

March 31, 2019



FNF, Inc.

December 31, 2018





(Unaudited)



(Unaudited)

Cash and investment portfolio





$

4,616







$

4,806



Goodwill





2,727







2,726



Title plant





405







405



Total assets





9,647







9,301



Notes payable





837







836



Reserve for title claim losses





1,483







1,488



Secured trust deposits





709







822



Redeemable non-controlling interests





344







344



Non-redeemable non-controlling interests





(5)







(2)



Total equity and non-controlling interests





5,109







4,972



Total equity attributable to common shareholders





4,770







4,630

























 

Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fnf-reports-first-quarter-2019-diluted-eps-of-0-74-and-adjusted-diluted-eps-of-0-43--pre-tax-title-margin-of-19-2-and-adjusted-pre-tax-title-margin-of-11-3-300837575.html

SOURCE Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

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