Net loss of $775 million; Net loss per
diluted share of $1.50
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings1
of $509 million
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings per diluted
share of $0.98
Returned $818 million to shareholders during
the first quarter of 2019
Newly independent company following
successful March secondary offering
AXA Equitable Holdings, Inc. (“AXA Equitable Holdings”, or the
“Company”) (NYSE: EQH) today announced financial results for the
first quarter ended March 31, 2019.
“AXA Equitable Holdings delivered strong first quarter 2019
results, with 14% growth in Non-GAAP Operating Earnings per share,
reflecting solid operating performance and effective execution
against our strategic priorities,” said Mark Pearson, President and
Chief Executive Officer. “The positive momentum we are generating
in each of our segments, our rigorous financial discipline and the
strength of our balance sheet are enabling us to deliver
significant levels of capital return for shareholders, reflected in
dividends and share repurchases totaling $818 million during the
first quarter.”
Mr. Pearson continued, “We continue to demonstrate our ability
to deliver on the shareholder commitments we articulated at the
time of our initial public offering one year ago, with growth in
earnings, substantial progress against our 2020 strategic goals and
meaningful capital return. Today, as a newly independent company
following the conclusion of AXA S.A.’s majority ownership, we are
inspired by our 160-year heritage and guided by our purpose to help
our clients retire with dignity, protect their families and prepare
for their financial future with confidence.”
Consolidated Results
First Quarter (in millions, except per share amounts or
unless otherwise noted)
2019 2018 Total Assets Under
Management (“AUM”, in billions)
$ 664 $ 665 Net
income (loss) attributable to Holdings
(775 ) 214 Net
income (loss) attributable to Holdings per diluted share
(1.50 ) 0.38 Non-GAAP Operating Earnings (loss)
509 483 Non-GAAP Operating Earnings (loss) per diluted share
(“EPS”)
0.98 0.86
Total AUM was $664 billion, flat compared to March 31, 2018.
Net loss attributable to Holdings for the first quarter of 2019
was $775 million, a decrease of $1.0 billion compared to the first
quarter of 2018. This result was primarily driven by noneconomic
market impacts under GAAP accounting driven by hedging and
nonperformance risk.
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings in the first quarter of 2019
increased to $509 million from $483 million in the first quarter of
2018.
As of March 31, 2019, Book value per share, including
accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”), was $26.77. Book
value per share, excluding AOCI, was $27.81 per share.
First Quarter 2019
Business Highlights
- Business segment highlights:
- Individual Retirement first year
premiums increased 16% to $1.9 billion.
- Group Retirement operating earnings
increased 7% to $81 million.
- Investment Management and Research
(AllianceBernstein) net inflows of $1.1 billion, positive for the
third straight quarter.
- Protection Solutions operating earnings
increased 40% to $49 million.
- Capital management program:
- Returned $818 million of capital to
shareholders, including $68 million of quarterly cash dividends, a
$600 million share repurchase from AXA S.A. and $150 million
repurchased as part of an Accelerated Share Repurchase
agreement.
- Intend to increase quarterly cash
dividend 15% to $0.15 per share in the second quarter.2
- Established majority independent
governance:
- Following completion of the March
secondary public offering and the share repurchase from AXA S.A.,
AXA Equitable Holdings is no longer a controlled company.
- Ramon de Oliveira named independent
Chairman of the AXA Equitable Holdings and AllianceBernstein (or
“AB”)3 Boards of Directors.
- Kristi Matus and Bertram Scott
appointed to the AXA Equitable Holdings Board of Directors.
- With these appointments, the AXA
Equitable Holdings board is now comprised of a majority of
independent directors.
- Continued to successfully execute on
strategic priorities:
- Achieved net savings run-rate of $21
million, and we remain on track to deliver $75 million pre-tax
productivity gains by 2020.
- Completed execution of over two-thirds
of the Company’s general account optimization initiative and
achieved $108 million towards the $160 million growth in pre-tax
net investment income goal by 2020.
- Capital position in-line with target
CTE98 for variable annuities and risk-based capital (“RBC”) ratio
of 350-400% for non-variable annuity insurance liabilities.
Business Segment
Results
Individual Retirement
(in millions, unless otherwise noted)
Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Account value (in billions)
$
102.5 $ 101.8 Segment net flows
(88 ) (462 )
Operating earnings (loss)
370
368
- Account value increased 1% due to
equity market performance over the last twelve months.
- Net outflows of $88 million
improved compared to the first quarter of 2018 as outflows from the
fixed rate living benefits block were partially offset by $841
million of net inflows on newer, less capital-intensive products
which increased from $579 million in the prior year quarter.
- Operating earnings increased slightly
from $368 million to $370 million year-over-year, primarily due to
an increase in net investment income from higher asset balances and
yields from our general account investment portfolio optimization
and an improvement in GMxB results.
Group Retirement
(in millions, unless otherwise noted)
Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Account value (in billions)
$
35.1 $ 33.9 Segment net flows
107 101 Operating
earnings (loss)
81 76
- Account value increased by 3% due to
positive equity market performance and net inflows over the last
twelve months.
- Net inflows of $107 million increased
from net inflows of $101 million in the prior year quarter driven
by strong inflows in the tax-exempt market.
- Operating earnings increased to $81
million primarily due to higher fee-type revenue on higher average
separate account assets and an increase in net investment income
due to our general account investment portfolio optimization.
Investment Management and
Research
(in millions, unless otherwise noted)
Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Total AUM (in billions)
$
554.7 549.5 Segment net flows (in billions)
1.1 (2.4
) Operating earnings (loss)
77
81
- AUM increased to $554.7 billion over
the last twelve months due to market performance.
- First quarter net inflows of $1.1
billion were driven by active net inflows of $2.2 billion.
- Operating earnings decreased to $77
million primarily reflecting a decrease in fee-type revenue due to
lower performance-based fees and lower Bernstein Research Services
revenues. This decrease was partially offset by our increased
ownership in AB.
Protection Solutions
(in millions)
Q1 2019 Q1
2018 Gross written premiums
$ 786 $ 754 Annualized
premiums
64 56 Operating earnings (loss)
49 35
- Gross written premiums increased 4%
year-over-year driven by both higher first year and renewal
premiums.
- Annualized premiums increased 14%
year-over-year driven by continued growth in VUL and Employee
Benefits product sales.
- Operating earnings increased from $35
million to $49 million year-over-year, driven by an increase in net
investment income due to the positive impact of our general account
investment portfolio optimization and a decrease in DAC
amortization as the segment is no longer in loss recognition.
Corporate and Other
Operating loss of $68 million, an improvement of $9 million
year-over-year, driven primarily by higher net investment income
and lower expenses.
Capital
Management
During the first quarter, AXA Equitable Holdings returned $818
million to shareholders, including
- $68 million of quarterly cash
dividends, reflecting $0.13 per share.
- Completion of $150 million of share
repurchases as part of an accelerated share repurchase agreement
entered into in January.
- $600 million share repurchase from AXA
S.A., leaving $200 million remaining on the Company’s current
repurchase authorization.
On February 28, 2019, the Company announced its intention to
increase its dividend by 15% to $0.15 per share payable in the
second quarter of 2019.
Also during the quarter, the Company raised a total of $1
billion of contingent capital that gives it the right at any time
over a ten-year or thirty-year period to issue senior notes,
totaling $600 million and $400 million respectively. This facility
is intended to provide an additional source of committed, long-term
liquidity and enhance the Company’s financial flexibility.
_______________________________________________
1 This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures.
More information on these measures and reconciliations to the most
comparable U.S. GAAP measures can be found in the “Use of Non-GAAP
Financial Measures” section of this release. 2 Any declaration of
dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and
will depend on our financial condition and other factors. 3 Refers
to AllianceBernstein L.P. and AllianceBernstein Holding L.P.,
collectively.
Earnings Conference Call
AXA Equitable Holdings will host a conference call on Friday,
May 10, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. ET, to discuss its first quarter 2019
results. The conference call webcast, along with additional
earnings materials will be accessible on the AXA Equitable Holdings
Investor Relations website at ir.axaequitableholdings.com. Please
log on to the webcast at least 15 minutes prior to the call to
download and install any necessary software. To join the conference
call via telephone, please use one of the following dial-in
numbers:
- Domestic: +1 844-897-7515
- International: +1 647-689-5390
- Access code: 3495776
A webcast replay will be made available on the AXA Equitable
Holdings Investor Relations website at
ir.axaequitableholdings.com.
About AXA Equitable Holdings
AXA Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH) is one of the leading
financial services companies in the U.S. and is comprised of two
complementary and well-established principal franchises, AXA
Equitable Life Insurance Company and AllianceBernstein. We have
been helping clients prepare for their financial future since 1859
and have a combined total of approximately 12,500 employees and
financial professionals, 5.3 million customer relationships and
$664 billion of assets under management (as of 3/31/2019).
Forward-looking and cautionary statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,”
“intends,” “seeks,” “aims,” “plans,” “assumes,” “estimates,”
“projects,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “shall” or
variations of such words are generally part of forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on
management’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future
developments and their potential effects upon AXA Equitable
Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) and its consolidated subsidiaries.
“We,” “us” and “our” refer to Holdings and its consolidated
subsidiaries, unless the context refers only to Holdings as a
corporate entity. There can be no assurance that future
developments affecting Holdings will be those anticipated by
management. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation,
all matters that are not historical facts.
These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future
performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and there are
certain important factors that could cause actual results to
differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates
reflected in such forward-looking statements, including, among
others: (i) conditions in the financial markets and economy,
including equity market declines and volatility, interest rate
fluctuations, impacts on our goodwill and changes in liquidity and
access to and cost of capital; (ii) operational factors, including
reliance on the payment of dividends to Holdings by its
subsidiaries, remediation of our material weaknesses, fulfilling
our obligations related to being a public company, indebtedness,
elements of our business strategy not being effective in
accomplishing our objectives, protection of confidential customer
information or proprietary business information, information
systems failing or being compromised and strong industry
competition; (iii) credit, counterparties and investments,
including counterparty default on derivative contracts, failure of
financial institutions, defaults, errors or omissions by third
parties and affiliates and gross unrealized losses on fixed
maturity and equity securities; (iv) our reinsurance and hedging
programs; (v) our products, structure and product distribution,
including variable annuity guaranteed benefits features within
certain of our products, complex regulation and administration of
our products, variations in statutory capital requirements,
financial strength and claims-paying ratings and key product
distribution relationships; (vi) estimates, assumptions and
valuations, including risk management policies and procedures,
potential inadequacy of reserves, actual mortality, longevity and
morbidity experience differing from pricing expectations or
reserves, amortization of deferred acquisition costs and financial
models; (vii) our Investment Management and Research segment,
including fluctuations in assets under management, the
industry-wide shift from actively-managed investment services to
passive services and potential termination of investment advisory
agreements; (viii) legal and regulatory risks, including federal
and state legislation affecting financial institutions, insurance
regulation and tax reform; (ix) risks related to our controlling
stockholder, including conflicts of interest, waiver of corporate
opportunities and costs associated with separation and rebranding;
and (x) risks related to our common stock and future offerings,
including the market price for our common stock being volatile and
potential stock price declines due to future sales of shares by
existing stockholders.
Forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with
the other cautionary statements, risks, uncertainties and other
risk factors identified in Holdings’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2018 as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 8, 2019 and elsewhere in Holdings’
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.
Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date
on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or
circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as otherwise
may be required by law.
Use of Non-GAAP financial measures
In addition to our results presented in accordance with U.S.
GAAP, we report Non-GAAP Operating Earnings, Non-GAAP Operating EPS
and Book value per share, excluding AOCI, each of which is a
measure that is not determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Management believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial
measures, together with relevant U.S. GAAP measures, provides a
better understanding of our results of operations and the
underlying profitability drivers and trends of our business. These
non-GAAP financial measures are intended to remove from our results
of operations the impact of market changes (other than with respect
to equity method investments) as well as certain other expenses
which are not part of our underlying profitability drivers or
likely to re-occur in the foreseeable future, as such items
fluctuate from period-to-period in a manner inconsistent with these
drivers. These measures should be considered supplementary to our
results that are presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and should
not be viewed as a substitute for the U.S. GAAP measures. Other
companies may use similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures that
are calculated differently from the way we calculate such measures.
Consequently, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable
to similar measures used by other companies.
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings is an after-tax non-GAAP financial
measure used to evaluate our financial performance on a
consolidated basis that is determined by making certain adjustments
to our consolidated after-tax net income attributable to Holdings.
The most significant of such adjustments relates to our derivative
positions, which protect economic value and statutory capital, and
are more sensitive to changes in market conditions than the
variable annuity product liabilities as valued under U.S. GAAP.
This is a large source of volatility in net income.
In the first quarter of 2019, we modified our Non-GAAP Operating
Earnings measure’s treatment of the impact of timing differences on
the amortization of DAC resulting from market value adjustments for
our SCS variable annuity product. As a result of this modification,
the amortization of DAC for our SCS product included in Non-GAAP
Operating Earnings was changed to be determined based on our SCS
product's gross profits included in Non-GAAP Operating Earnings,
consistent with both our exclusion from Non-GAAP Operating Earnings
of other items that are distortive to the underlying drivers of our
financial performance on a consolidated basis and with industry
practice. Our presentation of Non-GAAP Operating Earnings in prior
periods was not revised to reflect this modification, however, had
we modified the treatment of the amortization of DAC for SCS
starting in the first quarter of 2018, SCS-related DAC amortization
excluded from Non-GAAP Operating Earnings would have been $52
million, $17 million and $4 million lower during the first, second
and third quarter of 2018, respectively, and $17 million higher
during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Non-GAAP Operating Earnings equals our consolidated after-tax
net income attributable to Holdings adjusted to eliminate the
impact of the following items:
- Items related to variable annuity
product features, which include certain changes in the fair value
of the derivatives and other securities we use to hedge these
features, the effect of benefit ratio unlock adjustments and
changes in the fair value of the embedded derivatives reflected
within variable annuity products’ net derivative results and the
impact of these items on DAC amortization;
- Investment (gains) losses, which
includes other-than-temporary impairments of securities, sales or
disposals of securities/investments, realized capital gains/losses
and valuation allowances;
- Net actuarial (gains) losses, which
includes actuarial gains and losses as a result of differences
between actual and expected experience on pension plan assets or
projected benefit obligation during a given period related to
pension, other postretirement benefit obligations, and the one-time
impact of the settlement of the defined benefit obligation;
- Other adjustments, which includes
restructuring costs related to severance, lease write-offs related
to non-recurring restructuring activities, and separation costs;
and
- Income tax expense (benefit) related to
the above items and non-recurring tax items, which includes the
effect of uncertain tax positions for a given audit period and the
impact of the Tax Reform Act.
Because Non-GAAP Operating Earnings excludes the foregoing items
that can be distortive or unpredictable, management believes that
this measure enhances the understanding of the Company’s underlying
drivers of profitability and trends in our business, thereby
allowing management to make decisions that will positively impact
our business.
We use our prevailing corporate federal income tax rate of 21%
in 2019 and 2018, while taking into account any non-recurring
differences for events recognized differently in our financial
statements and federal income tax returns as well as partnership
income taxed at lower rates when reconciling Net income (loss)
attributable to Holdings to Non-GAAP Operating Earnings.
The table below presents a reconciliation of Net income (loss)
attributable to Holdings to Non-GAAP Operating Earnings for the
Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 and 2018:
Three Months EndedMarch
31,
(in millions)
2019 2018 Net income (loss)
attributable to Holdings
$ (775 ) $ 214
Adjustments related to: Variable annuity product features
1,540 176 Investment (gains) losses
11 (102 ) Net
actuarial (gains) losses related to pension and other
postretirement benefit obligations
24 131 Other adjustments
40 91 Income tax expense (benefit) related to above
adjustments
(337 ) (55 ) Non-recurring tax items
6 28 Non-GAAP Operating Earnings(1)
$
509 $ 483
(1)
Had we modified the treatment of the amortization of DAC for
SCS starting in the first quarter of 2018, Non-GAAP Operating
Earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2018 would have been
$442 million.
Non-GAAP Operating EPS
Non-GAAP Operating EPS is calculated by dividing Non-GAAP
Operating Earnings by weighted average diluted common shares
outstanding. The table below presents a reconciliation of GAAP EPS
to Non-GAAP Operating EPS for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
and 2018:
Three Months EndedMarch
31,
(per share amounts)
2019 2018 Net income (loss)
attributable to Holdings
$ (1.50 ) $ 0.38
Adjustments related to: Variable annuity product features
2.97 0.31 Investment (gains) losses
0.02 (0.18 ) Net
actuarial (gains) losses related to pension and other
postretirement benefit obligations
0.05 0.23 Other
adjustments
0.08 0.17 Income tax expense (benefit) related
to above adjustments
(0.65 ) (0.10 ) Non-recurring
tax items
0.01 0.05 Non-GAAP Operating
Earnings(1)
$ 0.98 $ 0.86
(1)
Had we modified the treatment of the amortization of DAC for
SCS starting in the first quarter of 2018, Non-GAAP Operating
Earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2018 would have been
$0.79.
Book Value Per Share, excluding AOCI
We use the term “book value” to refer to Total equity
attributable to Holdings. Book Value Per Share, excluding AOCI, is
our Total equity attributable to Holdings, excluding AOCI, divided
by ending common shares outstanding - diluted.
March 31, 2019
December 31,2018
Book value per share
$ 26.77 $ 26.22 Per share impact
of AOCI
1.04 2.64
Book Value Per Share, excluding
AOCI $ 27.81 $ 28.86
Other Operating Measures
We also use certain operating measures which management believes
provide useful information about our businesses and the operational
factors underlying our financial performance.
Account Value
Account value generally equals the aggregate policy account
value of our retirement products.
Assets Under Management (“AUM”)
AUM means investment assets that are managed by one of our
subsidiaries and includes: (i) assets managed by AB, (ii) the
assets in our general account investment assets portfolio and (iii)
the separate account assets of our Individual Retirement, Group
Retirement and Protection Solutions businesses. Total AUM reflects
exclusions between segments to avoid double counting.
Conditional Tail Expectation (“CTE”) 98
CTE98 is defined as the amount of assets required to satisfy
contract holder obligations across market environments in the
average of the worst two percent of scenarios over the life of the
contracts.
Segment net flows
Net change in segment customer account balances in a period
including, but not limited to, gross premiums, surrenders,
withdrawals and benefits. It excludes investment performance,
interest credited to customer accounts and policy charges.
Consolidated
Statements of Income (Loss)
Three Months EndedMarch
31,
2019 2018
(in millions) REVENUES Policy
charges and fee income
$ 931 $ 966 Premiums
283 279 Net derivative gains (losses)
(1,630 )
(236 ) Net investment income (loss)
1,015 591 Investment
gains (losses), net
(11 ) 102 Investment management
and service fees
999 1,055 Other income
127
117 Total revenues
1,714 2,874
BENEFITS AND OTHER DEDUCTIONS Policyholders’ benefits
880 594 Interest credited to policyholders’ account balances
304 271 Compensation and benefits
509 579 Commissions
and distribution related payments
281 291 Interest expense
56 46 Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs
198 172 Other operating costs and expenses
410
493 Total benefits and other deductions
2,638
2,446 Income (loss) from continuing operations, before
income taxes
(924 ) 428 Income tax (expense) benefit
215 (91 ) Net income (loss)
(709 ) 337
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest
(66 ) (123 ) Net income (loss) attributable to
Holdings
$ (775 ) $ 214
Earnings Per
Share
Three Months EndedMarch
31,
2019 2018
(in millions, except per share
data)
Earnings per share - Common stock: Basic
$
(1.50 ) $ 0.38 Diluted
$
(1.50 ) $ 0.38 Weighted Average
Shares: Weighted average common stock outstanding for basic
earnings per common share
518.0 561.0 Weighted
average common stock outstanding for diluted earnings per common
share
518.0 561.0
Results of
Operations by Segment
Three Months EndedMarch
31,
2019 2018
(in millions) Operating earnings
(loss) by segment: Individual Retirement (1)
$
370 $ 368 Group Retirement
81 76 Investment
Management and Research
77 81 Protection Solutions
49
35 Corporate and Other
(68 ) (77 )
Non-GAAP
Operating Earnings (2) $ 509 $ 483
(1) Had we modified the treatment of the
amortization of DAC for SCS starting in the first quarter of 2018,
Operating earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2018 for
the Individual Retirement segment would have been $327 million. (2)
Had we modified the treatment of the amortization of DAC for SCS
starting in the first quarter of 2018, Non-GAAP Operating Earnings
for the three months ended March 31, 2018 would have been $442
million.
Select Balance
Sheet Statistics
March 31, 2019
December 31,2018
(in millions) ASSETS Total investments and cash and
cash equivalents
$ 88,077 $ 85,802 Separate accounts
assets
120,194 110,337 Total assets
232,819 220,797
LIABILITIES Short-term and Long-term debt
$
4,949 $ 4,955 Future policy benefits and other
policyholders’ liabilities
31,462 30,998 Policyholders’
account balances
52,197 49,923 Total liabilities
217,930 205,178
EQUITY Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)
(513 ) (1,396 ) Total
equity attributable to Holdings
$ 13,143 $ 13,866
Total equity attributable to Holdings excluding Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)
13,656 15,262
Assets Under
Management
March 31, 2019 December
31,2018
(in millions) Assets under
management AB AUM: $ 554,652 $
516,353 Exclusion for General Account and Other
(62,896
) (61,483 ) Exclusion for Separate Accounts
(36,266
) (32,399 ) AB Third Party
$ 455,490 $
422,471
Total Company AUM AB Third Party
$
455,490 $ 422,471 General Account and Other(1)
88,077
85,802 Separate Accounts(2)
120,194 110,337
Total AUM $ 663,761 $ 618,610
(1)
“General Account and Other Affiliated Accounts” refers to
assets held in the general accounts of our insurance companies and
other assets on which we bear the investment risk.
(2)
“Separate Accounts” refers to the separate account investment
assets of our insurance subsidiaries excluding any assets on which
we bear the investment risk.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190509005952/en/
Investor RelationsKevin Molloy+1 212-314-2476Media
RelationsMatt Asensio+1 212-314-2010
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