ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD. (Exact Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter)
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Toggle SGML Header (+) Section 1: 10-K (10-K) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One) ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number: 1-15259 ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Bermuda 98-0214719 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification Number) 110 Pitts Bay Road P.O. Box HM 1282 Pembroke HM08 Hamilton HM FX Bermuda Bermuda (Address of principal executive offices) (Mailing address) (441) 296-5858 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of Security Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered Common Stock, par value of $1.00 per share NASDAQ Global Select Market Guarantee of Argo Group US, Inc. 6.500% Senior Notes due 2042 NASDAQ Stock Market LLC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No As of June 30, 2014, the aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $1,307.1 million. As of February 23, 2015, the Registrant had 25,721,708 shares of common stock outstanding (less treasury shares). DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Part III: Excerpts from Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd.’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015 ARGO GROUP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD. Annual Report on Form 10-K For the Year Ended December 31, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I Page Item 1. Business 2 Item 1A. Risk Factors 16 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 38 Item 2. Properties 38 Item 3. Legal Proceedings 39 Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure 39 PART II Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 40 Item 6. Selected Financial Data 43 Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 43 Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 68 Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 70 Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 70 Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 71 Item 9B. Other Information 72 PART III Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 73 Item 11. Executive Compensation 73 Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters 73 Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence 73 Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 73 PART IV Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 74 Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this document are “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of that act. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “continued”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “seeks”, “approximately”, “predicts”, “intends”, “plans”, “estimates”, “anticipates” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. The forward- looking statements are based on the current expectations of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (“Argo Group,” “we” or the “Company”) and our beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Argo Group. There can be no assurance that actual developments will be those anticipated by Argo Group. Actual results may differ materially as a result of significant risks and uncertainties including but not limited to: changes in the pricing environment including those due to the cyclical nature of the insurance and reinsurance industry; increased competition; the adequacy of our projected loss reserves including; development of claims that varies from that which was expected when loss reserves were established; adverse legal rulings which may impact the liability under insurance and reinsurance contracts beyond that which was anticipated when the reserves were established; development of new theories related to coverage which may increase liabilities under insurance and reinsurance contracts beyond that which were anticipated when the loss reserves were established; reinsurance coverage being other than what was anticipated when the loss reserves were established; ● changes to regulatory and tax conditions and legislation; ● natural and/or man-made disasters, including terrorist acts; ● the inability to secure reinsurance; ● the inability to collect reinsurance recoverables; ● a downgrade in our financial strength ratings; ● changes in interest rates; ● changes in the financial markets that impact investment income and the fair market values of our investments; ● changes in asset valuations; ● failure to execute information technology strategies; ● failure to execute expense reductions; ● inability to successfully execute mergers or acquisitions; and ● other risks detailed in this Form 10-K or that may be detailed in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in Item 1A, “Risk Factors.” We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. 1 PART I Item 1. Business Business Overview Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (“Argo Group,” “we” or the “Company”) is an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty market. We target niches where we can develop a leadership position and where we believe we will generate superior underwriting profits. Our growth has been achieved both organically through an operating strategy focused on disciplined underwriting and as a result of strategic acquisitions. Following is a summary organizational chart for Argo Group: Business Segments and Products For the year ended December 31, 2014, our operations included four ongoing business segments: Excess and Surplus Lines, Commercial Specialty, International Specialty and Syndicate 1200. In addition to the four main business segments, we have a Run-off Lines segment for certain products we no longer underwrite. For discussion of the operating results of each business segment, please refer to Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 20, “Segment Information” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Excess and Surplus Lines Excess and Surplus lines carriers focus on risks that the standard (admitted) market is unwilling or unable to underwrite. The standard market’s limited appetite for such coverage is often driven by the insured’s unique risk characteristics, the perils involved, the nature of the business, and/or the insured’s loss experience. Excess and Surplus lines carriers are able to underwrite these risks with more flexible policy terms at unregulated premium rates on a non-admitted basis. Non-admitted carriers, while approved, are not licensed in the states where they underwrite and, therefore, are subject to less regulation. By contrast, admitted carriers are licensed by states and are subject to all of the regulations and requirements of those states. Our Excess and Surplus Lines segment consists of two operating platforms: Colony Specialty and Argo Pro. While focused primarily on non-admitted business, each of these operations may also underwrite