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Cincinnati Financial (CINF) Q3 Earnings Beat, Decrease Y/Y

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Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF - Free Report) reported third-quarter 2016 operating income of 86 cents per share that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 85 cents by 1.2%. However, the bottom line deteriorated 17.3% year over year, mainly due to weak underwriting results and higher expenses.

Including lower net realized investment gains of 22 cents per share, the company’s net income inched up 2.9% year over year to $1.08 per share.

Operational Update

Total operating revenue in the reported quarter was $1.35 billion, up 1.1% year over year. The top-line growth was driven by 5.7% higher premiums earned and 3.5% rise in investment income.

Total benefits and expenses of Cincinnati Financial increased 11% year over year to $1.1 billion, primarily due to higher insurance losses and contract holders’ benefits as well as underwriting, acquisition and insurance expenses.

Combined ratio – a measure of underwriting profitability – deteriorated 460 basis points (bps) year over year to 92.4%.

Cincinnati Financial had 1,592 agency relationships as of Sep 30, 2016 compared with 1,526 as of Dec 31, 2015.

Quarterly Segment Update

Commercial Lines Insurance: Total revenue of $780 million grew 2.9% year over year. The upside was primarily driven by an increase in premiums earned. However, underwriting profit plunged 40.5% year over year to $72 million. Combined ratio also deteriorated 680 bps year over year to 90.8%.

Personal Lines Insurance: Total revenue of $294 million jumped 5.8% year over year owing to an increase in premiums earned. The segment incurred an underwriting loss of $8 million, substantially wider than the year-ago loss of $2 million. Moreover, combined ratio deteriorated 250 bps year over year to 103.4%.

Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance: Total revenue of $49 million climbed 16.7% year over year due to an increase in premiums earned. The segment’s underwriting profit surged 42.9% year over year to $20 million. Also, combined ratio improved 860 bps year over year to 61.3%.

Life Insurance: Total revenue grew 14.4% year over year to $103 million due to an increase in earned premiums. Total benefits and expenses increased 19.2% year over year to $87 million.

Financial Update

As of Sep 30, 2016, Cincinnati Financial had assets worth $20.5 billion, up 8.3% from the 2015-end level.

Cincinnati Financial’s debt-to-capital ratio was 10.2% as of Sep 30, 2016. This reflects an improvement from 11.3% at the end of 2015.

As of Sep 30, 2016, Cincinnati Financial’s book value per share was $43.24, up 10.3% from Dec 31, 2015.

CINCINNATI FINL Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

 

CINCINNATI FINL Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | CINCINNATI FINL Quote

Zacks Rank

Cincinnati Financial currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Performance of Other P&C Insurers

Among the other players from the same space that have reported their third-quarter earnings so far, the bottom line at Progressive Corp.(PGR - Free Report) and The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV - Free Report) beat their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate, while RLI Corp. (RLI - Free Report) missed the same.

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