10-QPeriod: Q2 FY2003

ALLSTATE CORP Quarterly Report for Q2 Ended Jun 30, 2003

Filed August 11, 2003For Securities:ALLALL-PJALL-PBALL-PHALL-PI

Summary

The Allstate Corporation reported a strong performance for the second quarter and first six months of 2003 compared to the same periods in 2002. Net income saw significant increases, driven primarily by improved underwriting results in the Property-Liability segment and reduced realized capital losses. The Property-Liability segment benefited from higher earned premiums and better claim frequencies, although this was partially offset by an increase in catastrophe losses. The Allstate Financial segment experienced a decrease in net income for the quarter due to lower mortality and investment margins, but overall net income for the year-to-date period improved significantly, largely due to a prior year accounting adjustment for goodwill. The company's investment portfolio saw substantial growth, driven by positive cash flows and unrealized gains on fixed income securities. Overall, Allstate demonstrated robust operational improvements and a strengthened financial position, reflecting effective management strategies and favorable market conditions in key segments.

Key Highlights

  • 1Net income increased significantly by 70.9% in Q2 2003 ($588M vs $344M) and by 181% year-to-date ($1.25B vs $439M) compared to 2002, driven by improved underwriting results and lower realized capital losses.
  • 2Property-Liability Premiums earned grew 5.9% in Q2 and 5.5% year-to-date, indicating an increase in policy volume and pricing.
  • 3Property-Liability Underwriting income improved dramatically, moving from a loss of $21 million in Q2 2002 to a profit of $181 million in Q2 2003, and from $22 million year-to-date in 2002 to $594 million in 2003.
  • 4Catastrophe losses increased substantially, up 96.5% in Q2 and 75.6% year-to-date, highlighting the impact of severe weather events on profitability.
  • 5The combined ratio for Property-Liability operations improved significantly, down 3.3 points in Q2 and 4.7 points year-to-date, indicating better overall underwriting efficiency.
  • 6Total assets grew to $127 billion from $117.4 billion at year-end 2002, with total investments increasing by over $8 billion.
  • 7Shareholders' equity increased by $1.86 billion in the first six months of 2003, reflecting strong net income and unrealized investment gains.

Frequently Asked Questions

The significant increase in net income for the six months ended June 30, 2003, compared to the prior year, was primarily driven by improved underwriting results in the Property-Liability business, significantly lower realized capital losses, and the absence of a $331 million after-tax cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle related to goodwill that impacted the prior year.

Catastrophe losses increased substantially in both the second quarter and the first six months of 2003 compared to the prior year, rising by 96.5% and 75.6%, respectively. While these increased losses detracted from profitability, the segment's overall underwriting income improved due to stronger core insurance operations.

For the second quarter of 2003, net income in the Allstate Financial segment decreased slightly compared to the prior year, primarily due to reduced mortality and investment margins. However, for the first six months of 2003, net income improved significantly year-over-year, largely due to the absence of a prior year goodwill accounting charge, which more than offset a decrease in mortality margins and accelerated amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs.

Total investments grew significantly to $99.2 billion as of June 30, 2003, up from $90.7 billion at the end of 2002. This growth was fueled by positive cash flows from operations and financing activities, as well as substantial unrealized gains on fixed income securities, reflecting favorable market conditions and interest rate environments.