Shares of Travelers (NYSE:TRV) fell 7% following the announcement of their first-quarter results, which missed analysts' estimates for both earnings per share (EPS) and revenue. The insurance giant reported an adjusted EPS of $4.69, which was $0.18 shy of the consensus estimate of $4.87. Earned premiums for the quarter were reported at $10.13 billion, falling below the expected $10.62 billion.
Despite the shortfall relative to analysts' expectations, Travelers did see a year-over-year (YoY) increase in its financials. The company's net income rose by 16% to $1.123 billion, or $4.80 per diluted share, compared to $975 million, or $4.13 per diluted share, in the same quarter of the previous year. Core income, which excludes certain items, also saw a 14% increase to $1.096 billion, or $4.69 per diluted share, from $970 million, or $4.11 per diluted share, YoY.
Travelers attributed the increase in core income primarily to higher net investment income and a higher underlying underwriting gain, despite facing elevated catastrophe losses of $712 million pre-tax, which was higher than the $535 million pre-tax in the prior year quarter. The company also reported an excellent consolidated combined ratio of 93.9%, which improved by 1.5 points, and an outstanding underlying combined ratio of 87.7%, improving by 2.9 points.
Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Travelers, expressed satisfaction with the company's performance, highlighting strong core income driven by record net earned premiums and an excellent combined ratio. He also noted the company's growth in net written premiums across all segments, with an 8% increase to $10.2 billion. Schnitzer further mentioned a 5% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $1.05 per share, marking two decades of dividend growth.
Despite these positive aspects, the market's reaction was decidedly negative, with the stock experiencing a significant drop. This decline reflects investor sentiment affected by the company's failure to meet the anticipated financial targets set by analysts for the quarter.
The company's strong position and ongoing strategic investments were emphasized, with Schnitzer affirming Travelers' readiness for continued success in the current year and beyond.