Employers Holdings, Inc. Q1 FY26 Results

This was a quarter defined by discipline. We made a deliberate choice to prioritize underwriting quality over volume, and the results reflect that commitment: our underwriting expense ratio improved, our actuarial estimates came in on target, and we returned $83.0 million to shareholders while growing book value per share including the Deferred Gain by 8.9%. Our earned premium was essentially flat year-over-year — down 1% — which reflects our deliberate choice to prioritize underwriting quality over chasing volume. The steps we took in 2025 to tighten pricing and underwriting are working as intended, and new growth opportunities are taking shape, including expanding underwriting segments and our excess workers’ compensation product. Profitable growth remains our north star. Our first quarter actuarial review came in right where we expected — loss and LAE estimates were within our targets, and we held our 2025 and prior estimates steady. Our current accident year loss and LAE ratio, excluding the LPT, on voluntary business is 72.0%, consistent with our 2025 accident year ratio, which reflects the underwriting discipline we’ve maintained throughout. Our investment portfolio is performing well — the rebalancing we did last quarter is paying off, with investment income (excluding private equity returns) up $1.5 million versus the prior year. We also made real progress on expenses, bringing our underwriting expense ratio down to 22.6% from 23.4%, which speaks to the operational discipline embedded in how we run this Company. Returning capital to shareholders is something we take seriously, and the numbers speak for themselves: after a record $215.4 million returned in 2025, we kept the momentum going with another $83.0 million in the first quarter through share repurchases and dividends. Today’s decision by the Board of Directors to raise our quarterly dividend by 6.25% to $0.34 per share and to reset our $125.0 million share repurchase authorization is a direct reflection of our confidence in where this business is headed. That conviction is backed by an 8.9% year-over-year increase in book value per share including the Deferred Gain — a tangible signal of the value we’re building for shareholders. And as we look ahead, the opportunity to set ourselves apart in technology is real. We recently became the first insurance carrier to bring workers’ compensation quoting directly into ChatGPT — built on our patented technology, designed to connect with business owners where and how they engage. We didn’t wait for the industry to define this channel. We defined it. That’s the culture and capability driving EMPLOYERS forward.”