Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) today reported net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 of $135.6 million or $1.21 per diluted share, compared to $149.5 million or $1.52 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Essent also announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a $250 million share repurchase plan to be executed by the end of 2022 and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per common share. The dividend is payable on June 10, 2021, to shareholders of record on June 1, 2021.

"We are pleased with our financial results for the first quarter which we believe demonstrate a return to pre-COVID-19 profitability, as the U.S. economy gains momentum coming out of the pandemic and our defaults continue to normalize,” said Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “At quarter end, our capital position remains strong as our buy, manage and distribute operating model has our franchise well positioned. As a reflection of this, we are pleased to announce our $250 million share repurchase program and $0.01 per share increase in our quarterly dividend."

First Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights:

• Insurance in force as of March 31, 2021 was $197.1 billion, compared to $198.9 billion as of December 31, 2020 and $165.6 billion as of March 31, 2020.

• New insurance written for the first quarter was $19.3 billion, compared to $29.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020 and $13.5 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

• Net premiums earned for the first quarter were $219.1 million, compared to $222.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 and $206.5 million in the first quarter of 2020.

• The expense ratio for the first quarter was 19.3%, compared to 16.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020 and 20.3% in the first quarter of 2020.

• The provision for losses and LAE for the first quarter was $32.3 million, compared to a provision of $62.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 and a provision of $8.1 million in the first quarter of 2020.

• The percentage of loans in default as of March 31, 2021 was 3.70%, compared to 3.93% as of December 31, 2020 and 0.83% as of March 31, 2020.

• The combined ratio for the first quarter was 34.0%, compared to 44.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020 and 24.2% in the first quarter of 2020.

• The consolidated balance of cash and investments at March 31, 2021 was $4.9 billion, including cash and investment balances at Essent Group Ltd. of $540.3 million.

• The combined risk-to-capital ratio of the U.S. mortgage insurance business, which includes statutory capital for both Essent Guaranty, Inc. and Essent Guaranty of PA, Inc., was 10.6:1 as of March 31, 2021.

• Income taxes for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 include $5.7 million of discrete tax expense associated with an increase in our state deferred income tax liability.

Conference Call:

Essent management will hold a conference call at 10:00 AM Eastern time today to discuss its results. The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at http://ir.essentgroup.com/events-and-presentations/events/default.aspx. The call may also be accessed by dialing 833-287-0797 inside the U.S., or 647-689-4456 for international callers, using passcode 4881985 or by referencing Essent.

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Essent website approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends for a period of one year. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call ends for a period of two weeks, using the following dial-in numbers and passcode: 800-585-8367 inside the U.S., or 416-621-4642 for international callers, passcode 4881985.

In addition to the information provided in the company's earnings news release, other statistical and financial information, which may be referred to during the conference call, will be available on Essent's website at http://ir.essentgroup.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may include “forward-looking statements” which are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," “should,” “expect,” "plan," "anticipate," "believe," “estimate,” “predict,” or "potential" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Actual events, results and outcomes may differ materially from our expectations due to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, the following: the impact of COVID-19 and related economic conditions; changes in or to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “GSEs”), whether through Federal legislation, restructurings or a shift in business practices; failure to continue to meet the mortgage insurer eligibility requirements of the GSEs; competition for customers; lenders or investors seeking alternatives to private mortgage insurance; an increase in the number of loans insured through Federal government mortgage insurance programs, including those offered by the Federal Housing Administration; decline in new insurance written and franchise value due to loss of a significant customer; decline in the volume of low down payment mortgage originations; the definition of "Qualified Mortgage" reducing the size of the mortgage origination market or creating incentives to use government mortgage insurance programs; the definition of "Qualified Residential Mortgage" reducing the number of low down payment loans or lenders and investors seeking alternatives to private mortgage insurance; the implementation of the Basel III Capital Accord discouraging the use of private mortgage insurance; a decrease in the length of time that insurance policies are in force; uncertainty of loss reserve estimates; deteriorating economic conditions; our non-U.S. operations becoming subject to U.S. Federal income taxation; becoming considered a passive foreign investment company for U.S. Federal income tax purposes; and other risks and factors described in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2021, as subsequently updated through other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

About the Company:

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a Bermuda-based holding company (collectively with its subsidiaries, “Essent”) which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, Inc., offers private mortgage insurance for single-family mortgage loans in the United States. Essent provides private capital to mitigate mortgage credit risk, allowing lenders to make additional mortgage financing available to prospective homeowners. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Essent Guaranty, Inc. is licensed to write mortgage insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and is approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Essent also offers mortgage-related insurance, reinsurance and advisory services through its Bermuda-based subsidiary, Essent Reinsurance Ltd. Essent is committed to supporting environmental, social and governance ("ESG") initiatives that are relevant to the company and align with the companywide dedication to responsible corporate citizenship that positively impacts the community and people served. Additional information regarding Essent may be found at www.essentgroup.com and www.essent.us.

Source: Essent Group Ltd.