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Lincoln Financial Group Reports First Quarter 2018 Results

May 2, 2018 4:15 PM

Net income EPS of $1.64 and net income ROE, including AOCI, of 8.8%

Adjusted operating EPS of $1.97, up 3% or 14% excluding notable items in both periods

Adjusted operating ROE, excluding AOCI, of 13.0%

Book value per share (BVPS), including AOCI, of $73.09, up 10%; BVPS, excluding AOCI, of $62.88, up 8%

Completed Liberty Mutual group benefits acquisition

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) today reported net income for the first quarter of 2018 of $367 million, or $1.64 per diluted share available to common stockholders, compared to net income in the first quarter of 2017 of $435 million, or $1.89 per diluted share available to common stockholders. First quarter adjusted income from operations was $441 million, or $1.97 per diluted share available to common stockholders, compared to $442 million, or $1.92 per diluted share available to common stockholders, in the first quarter of 2017.

“We started the year strong with record first-quarter adjusted operating EPS and a 13% ROE as nearly every business segment reported double-digit growth in operating earnings,” said Dennis R. Glass, president and CEO of Lincoln Financial Group. “We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of Liberty Mutual’s group benefits business and we expect the continued strength of our capital position will enable us to resume share repurchases no later than the third quarter.”

As of or For the
Quarter Ended March 31,
(in millions, except per share data) 2018 2017
Net Income (Loss) $ 367 $ 435
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders 365 435
Net Income (Loss) per Diluted Share Available to Common Stockholders 1.64 1.89
Revenues 3,609 3,500
Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations 441 442
Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations per Diluted Share Available to Common Stockholders 1.97 1.92
Average Diluted Shares 222.3 230.1
ROE, Including AOCI (Net Income) 8.8% 11.8%
Adjusted Operating ROE, Excluding AOCI (Income from Operations) 13.0% 13.6%
Book Value per Share, Including AOCI $ 73.09 $ 66.58
Book Value per Share, Excluding AOCI 62.88 58.37

Operating Highlights – First Quarter 2018 versus First Quarter 2017

There were no notable items within adjusted income from operations for the current quarter. The prior-year quarter included $0.19 of favorable items related to one-time tax adjustments.

First Quarter 2018 – Segment Results

Annuities

The Annuities segment reported income from operations of $267 million versus $281 million in the prior-year quarter, which benefitted from one-time tax adjustments. Excluding notable items, income from operations increased 11% driven by higher fee income as average account values grew 8% to $138 billion.

Total annuity deposits of $2.5 billion were up 25% from the prior-year quarter, driven by growth in variable annuities. Variable annuity sales were up 40% versus the prior-year quarter benefitting from product and distribution expansion. Fixed annuity sales were down 12% versus the prior-year quarter. Net outflows improved to $606 million compared to outflows of $757 million in the prior-year quarter driven by growth in deposits.

The current quarter included no notable items. The prior-year quarter included favorable items of $41 million related to the one-time tax adjustments.

Retirement Plan Services

Retirement Plan Services reported income from operations of $43 million, up 16% compared to the prior-year quarter. Earnings benefitted from a lower reported tax rate as a result of tax reform and higher fee income, which was partially offset by lower spread income.

Total deposits for the quarter of $2.4 billion were up 5% versus the prior-year period, which included strong first-year sales and growth in recurring deposits.

Net flows totaled $463 million in the quarter, a record and up from $141 million in the prior-year quarter. When combined with favorable equity market performance, average account values for the quarter increased 15% to $68 billion.

The current quarter included no notable items. The prior-year quarter included a favorable item of $2 million related to a one-time tax adjustment.

Life Insurance

Life Insurance reported income from operations of $144 million, up 11% versus the prior-year quarter. This increase is attributable to a lower reported tax rate as a result of tax reform and in-force growth, partially offset by lower variable investment income. Mortality results were slightly favorable to seasonal expectations.

Individual life sales of $163 million increased 3% versus the prior-year quarter driven by growth in VUL. Total Life Insurance sales were $173 million versus $181 million in the prior-year quarter as a result of lower Executive Benefits sales, which can fluctuate quarter to quarter.

Total Life Insurance in-force of $725 billion grew 4% over the prior-year quarter, and average account values of $49 billion increased 7% over the prior-year quarter.

The current quarter included no notable items. The prior-year quarter included a favorable item of $1 million related to a one-time tax adjustment.

Group Protection

Group Protection income from operations was $29 million in the quarter versus $7 million in the prior-year period. The increase in earnings was largely driven by improvement in the non-medical loss ratio. The total non-medical loss ratio improved to 64% in the current quarter from 71% in the prior-year period.

Group Protection sales were $55 million in the quarter compared to $57 million in the prior-year quarter. Employee-paid sales represented 53% of total sales, in line with the prior-year period.

Non-medical earned premiums were $508 million, up 3% from the prior-year quarter, driven by recent sales momentum and improving persistency.

Other Operations

Other Operations reported a loss from operations of $42 million versus a loss of $13 million in the prior-year quarter.

Realized Gains and Losses / Impacts to Net Income

Realized gains/losses and impacts to net income (after-tax) in the quarter were predominantly driven by:

Unrealized Gains and Losses

The company reported a net unrealized gain of $4.8 billion, pre-tax, on its available-for-sale securities at March 31, 2018. This compares to a net unrealized gain of $5.3 billion at March 31, 2017, with the year-over-year decline primarily driven by an increase in interest rates.

Capital

The quarter’s average diluted share count of 222.3 million was down 3% from the first quarter of 2017, the result of repurchasing 7.5 million shares of stock at a cost of $525 million since March 31, 2017.

Book Value

As of March 31, 2018, book value per share, including accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”), of $73.09 increased 10% from a year ago. Book value per share, excluding AOCI, of $62.88 increased 8% from the prior-year period.

The tables attached to this release define and reconcile the Non-GAAP measures adjusted income from operations, adjusted operating return on equity (“ROE”) and book value per share, excluding AOCI to net income, ROE and book value per share, including AOCI calculated in accordance with GAAP.

This press release may contain statements that are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially, especially given the current economic and capital market conditions. Please see the Forward Looking Statements – Cautionary Language that follow for additional factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations.

For other financial information, please refer to the company’s first quarter 2018 statistical supplement available on its website, www.lfg.com/earnings.

Lincoln Financial Group will discuss the company’s first quarter results with investors in a conference call beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Interested persons are invited to listen through the internet. Please go to www.lfg.com/webcast at least fifteen minutes prior to the event to register, download and install any necessary streaming media software. Interested persons may also listen to the call by dialing the following numbers:

Dial: (866) 394-4575 (Domestic)
(678) 509-7536 (International)
Ask for the Lincoln National Conference Call.

Audio replay will begin by 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2018, and it will remain available through 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 10, 2018. To access the re-broadcast:

(855) 859-2056 (Domestic)
(404) 537-3406 (International)
Enter conference code: 3243028

A replay of the call will also be available by 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 3, 2018 at www.lfg.com/webcast.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $253 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2018. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen and was named one of the Forbes Best Employers for 2018, is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America, and received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

Explanatory Notes on Use of Non-GAAP Measures

Management believes that adjusted income from operations, adjusted operating return on equity and adjusted operating revenues better explain the results of the company’s ongoing businesses in a manner that allows for a better understanding of the underlying trends in the company’s current business because the excluded items are unpredictable and not necessarily indicative of current operating fundamentals or future performance of the business segments, and, in most instances, decisions regarding these items do not necessarily relate to the operations of the individual segments. Management also believes that using book value excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) enables investors to analyze the amount of our net worth that is primarily attributable to our business operations. Book value per share excluding AOCI is useful to investors because it eliminates the effect of items that can fluctuate significantly from period to period, primarily based on changes in interest rates.

For the historical periods, reconciliations of non-GAAP measures used in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP measure may be included in this Appendix to the press release and/or are included in the Statistical Reports for the corresponding periods contained in the Earnings section of the Investor Relations page on our website: www.lfg.com/investor.

Definitions of Non-GAAP Measures Used in this Press Release

Adjusted income (loss) from operations, adjusted operating revenues and adjusted operating return on equity (including and excluding average goodwill within average equity), excluding AOCI, using annualized adjusted income (loss) from operations are financial measures we use to evaluate and assess our results. Adjusted income (loss) from operations, adjusted operating revenues and adjusted operating return on equity (“ROE”), as used in the earnings release, are non-GAAP financial measures and do not replace GAAP net income (loss), revenues and ROE, the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations

We exclude the after-tax effects of the following items from GAAP net income (loss) to arrive at adjusted income (loss) from operations:

Adjusted Operating Revenues

Adjusted operating revenues represent GAAP revenues excluding the pre-tax effects of the following items, as applicable:

Adjusted Operating Return on Equity

Adjusted return on equity measures how efficiently we generate profits from the resources provided by our net assets.

Definition of Notable Items

Adjusted income (loss) from operations, excluding notable items is a non-GAAP measure that excludes items which, in management’s view, do not reflect the company’s normal, ongoing operations.

Book Value Per Share Excluding AOCI

Book value per share excluding AOCI is calculated based upon a non-GAAP financial measure.

Special Note

Sales

Sales as reported consist of the following:

Lincoln National Corporation

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Income from Operations
(in millions, except per share data) For the Quarter Ended

March 31,

2018 2017
Total Revenues $ 3,609 $ 3,500
Less:
Excluded realized gain (loss) (35) (80)
Amortization of DFEL on benefit ratio unlocking (1) 1

Amortization of deferred gains arising from reserve changes on business sold through reinsurance

- 1
Total Adjusted Operating Revenues $ 3,645 $ 3,578

Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders – Diluted

$ 365 $ 435
Less:

Adjustment for deferred units of LNC stock in our deferred compensation plans(1)

(2) -
Net Income (Loss) 367 435
Less(2):
Excluded realized gain (loss) (28) (52)
Benefit ratio unlocking (10) 45
Net impact from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (13) -

Acquisition and integration costs related to mergers and acquisitions, after-tax

(4) -
Gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt (19) -
Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations $ 441 $ 442
Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted
Net income (loss) $ 1.64 $ 1.89
Adjusted income (loss) from operations 1.97 1.92
Average Stockholders’ Equity
Average Equity, including average AOCI $ 16,653 $ 14,725
Average AOCI 3,052 1,706
Average equity, excluding AOCI 13,601 13,019
Average goodwill 1,368 2,273
Average equity, excluding AOCI and goodwill $ 12,233 $ 10,746
Return on Equity, Including AOCI
Net income (loss) with average equity including goodwill 8.8% 11.8%
Return on Equity, Excluding AOCI

Adjusted income (loss) from operations with average equity including goodwill

13.0% 13.6%

Adjusted income (loss) from operations with average equity excluding goodwill

14.4% 16.4%
(1) The numerator used in the calculation of our diluted EPS is adjusted to remove the mark-to-market adjustment for deferred units of LNC stock in our deferred compensation plans if the effect of equity classification would result in a more dilutive EPS.
(2) We use our prevailing federal income tax rates of 21% and 35%, where applicable, while taking into account any permanent differences for events recognized differently in our financial statements and federal income tax returns when reconciling our non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measure.
Lincoln National Corporation
Reconciliation of Notable Items
For the Quarter Ended

March 31,

2018 2017
Adjusted Operating EPS, As Reported $ 1.97 $

1.92

Notable items:
Taxes - 0.19
Total notable items - 0.19
Adjusted Operating EPS, Excluding Notable Items $ 1.97 $ 1.73
Lincoln National Corporation
Reconciliation of Book Value per Share
As of March 31,
2018 2017
Book value per share, including AOCI $ 73.09 $ 66.58
Per share impact of AOCI 10.21 8.21
Book value per share, excluding AOCI 62.88 58.37
Lincoln National Corporation
Digest of Earnings
(in millions, except per share data) For the Quarter Ended

March 31,

2018 2017
Revenues $ 3,609 $ 3,500
Net Income (Loss) $ 367 $ 435

Adjustment for deferred units of LNC stock in our deferred compensation plans(1)

(2) -

Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders – Diluted

$ 365 $ 435
Earnings (Loss) per Common Share – Basic $ 1.68 $ 1.93
Earnings (Loss) per Common Share – Diluted 1.64 1.89
Average Shares – Basic 218,368,994 225,619,803
Average Shares – Diluted 222,287,572 230,103,505
(1) The numerator used in the calculation of our diluted EPS is adjusted to remove the mark-to-market adjustment for deferred units of LNC stock in our deferred compensation plans if the effect of equity classification would be more dilutive to our diluted EPS.

Forward Looking Statements — Cautionary Language

Certain statements made in this press release and in other written or oral statements made by Lincoln or on Lincoln's behalf are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”). A forward-looking statement is a statement that is not a historical fact and, without limitation, includes any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words like: "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "project," "will," "shall" and other words or phrases with similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, trends in Lincoln's businesses, prospective services or products, future performance or financial results, and the outcome of contingencies, such as legal proceedings. Lincoln claims the protection afforded by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the PSLRA.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results contained in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary materially, some of which are described within the forward-looking statements, include, among others:

The risks included here are not exhaustive. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) include additional factors that could affect our businesses and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a rapidly changing and competitive environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors.

Further, it is not possible to assess the effect of all risk factors on our businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. In addition, Lincoln disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release.

The reporting of Risk Based Capital (“RBC”) measures is not intended for the purpose of ranking any insurance company or for use in connection with any marketing, advertising or promotional activities.

Lincoln Financial Group

Chris Giovanni

484-583-1793

Investor Relations

[email protected]

or

Scott Sloat

484-583-1625

Media Relations

[email protected]

Source: Lincoln Financial Group

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