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NMI Holdings (NMIH)
NASDAQ:NMIH

NMI Holdings (NMIH) AI Stock Analysis

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NMIH

NMI Holdings

(NASDAQ:NMIH)

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Outperform 82 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:82Outperform
Price Target:
$47.00
▲(14.86% Upside)
The score is driven primarily by strong financial performance (high profitability, improving leverage, and solid cash generation) and supportive earnings-call takeaways (record results, strong capital/reinsurance position, and ongoing buybacks). Technicals add moderate momentum support, while valuation is favorable due to the low P/E. The main risk tempering the score is rising defaults/claims and persistency normalization, alongside some inconsistencies in the provided 2025 financial-statement fields.
Positive Factors
High and Stable Profitability
Consistently elevated net margins indicate durable underwriting economics and pricing power in the mortgage insurance franchise. High margins support strong internal capital generation, fund buybacks and reinvestment, and provide a buffer against rising claims or cyclical loss spikes over a multi-quarter horizon.
Improving Balance Sheet & Low Leverage
Material decline in leverage and rising equity capital point to greater financial flexibility and lower default risk from the balance sheet. Conservative leverage enables sustained buybacks, absorbing underwriting volatility, and supports regulatory capital requirements that underpin long-term franchise stability.
Durable Risk Transfer & Capital Cushion
Long-dated quota-share and excess-of-loss treaties extend capital capacity and shift tail risk to reinsurers. Combined with a reported PMIERs asset excess, this structural risk-transfer program allows the company to scale NIW with controlled capital consumption and predictable cost of capital over multiple years.
Negative Factors
Persistency Decline
Lower persistency reduces the average life of active policies, forcing higher new insurance written to sustain earned premium and exacerbating acquisition and onboarding costs. Over several quarters this can depress earned yields, increase turnover of higher-quality vintages, and compress long-term profitability.
Rising Defaults and Claims
A rising default count and higher claims directly increase loss emergence and reserve needs, pressuring underwriting results and potentially raising reinsurance pricing. If defaults trend upward for multiple quarters, the company may face margin erosion and higher capital consumption to support claim payouts.
Reinsurance Dependency & Yield Volatility
Heavy use of quota-share and other reinsurance shifts yield and profit commission volatility to the company’s net results. Changes in reinsurance pricing or cancellation earnings can materially affect net yields and earnings predictability over multiple quarters, making margins more sensitive to external reinsurance markets.

NMI Holdings (NMIH) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

NMI Holdings Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionNMI Holdings, Inc. provides private mortgage guaranty insurance services in the United States. The company offers mortgage insurance services; and outsourced loan review services to mortgage loan originators. It serves national and regional mortgage banks, money center banks, credit unions, community banks, builder-owned mortgage lenders, internet-sourced lenders, and other non-bank lenders. NMI Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyNMI Holdings generates revenue primarily through the premiums collected from its private mortgage insurance policies. The company charges lenders a premium to insure a portion of the mortgage amount, which provides coverage against borrower defaults. Additionally, NMIH earns income from investment income on the premiums it receives before claims are paid out. The company also benefits from economies of scale as it grows its insurance portfolio, allowing it to spread risk across a larger base. Significant partnerships with mortgage lenders, as well as a focus on expanding its market share in the PMI industry, contribute positively to its earnings. Furthermore, NMI Holdings' commitment to advanced technology and data analytics enhances its underwriting processes and risk assessment, improving profitability.

NMI Holdings Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Primary Insurance In-Force
Primary Insurance In-Force
Total outstanding mortgage insurance coverage the company currently guarantees. Size and trends in in-force reflect the scale of future premium income and the company’s exposure to borrower defaults—growing in-force suggests expansion, while declines signal shrinking business or tighter underwriting.
Chart InsightsNMI has steadily expanded its primary insurance-in-force to record scale, and that growing, well‑retained portfolio is driving revenue, investment income and the operational leverage behind aggressive buybacks. The business is benefiting from seasoning of prior vintages, but rising claims and localized housing weakness in Sunbelt markets represent the main risks that could pressure loss costs or slow new insurance written; monitor defaults and persistency to see if underwriting economics remain intact as scale increases.
Data provided by:The Fly

NMI Holdings Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 10, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasized multiple record achievements — revenue, insured in force, policies outstanding, full-year net income and EPS growth, improved book value, strong reinsurance deals, and disciplined capital returns — while acknowledging manageable portfolio seasoning effects: a modest decline in persistency, a sequential rise in defaults and claims tied to growth and seasonality, and macro/consumer risks to monitor. Management presented these headwinds as expected or contained within its risk framework and reinforced strong capital and reinsurance positions that mitigate downside risk.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Revenue and Strong Full-Year Financial Performance
Total revenue reached a record $180.7M in Q4 and $706.4M for full-year 2025, up ~9% year-over-year. GAAP net income for 2025 was a record $388.9M, up 8% versus 2024, with full-year diluted EPS of $4.92, up 11% year-over-year, and a full-year return on equity of 16.2%.
Robust New Insurance Written (NIW) and Portfolio Growth
Generated $14.2B of NIW in Q4 and $49B for full-year 2025. Primary insurance in force ended the year at a record $221.4B, up 1.4% sequentially and 5.4% year-over-year, with over 680,000 policies outstanding.
Improved Book Value and Capital Position
Book value per share was $33.98 and book value per share excluding unrealized investment gains/losses was $34.58, up 4% sequentially and 16% year-over-year. At year-end, available PMIERs assets were $3.5B vs $2.1B of risk-based required assets, leaving $1.4B of excess available assets.
Successful Capital & Reinsurance Execution
Secured a series of quota share and excess-of-loss reinsurance treaties including forward-flow coverage through 2028 at an estimated 4% pretax cost of capital; management described these as among the best in cost, capacity, duration, and structure.
Record Premiums Earned and Yield Stability
Net premiums earned were a record $152.5M in Q4 (up ~6.3% YoY). Net yield held at 28 bps and core yield (ex-reinsurance & cancellation contributions) remained steady at 34 bps quarter-over-quarter.
Share Repurchase Execution
Repurchased $31M of common stock in Q4 (811,000 shares at an average $37.72). Since 2022, repurchases total $349M (12.1M shares) with $226M of repurchase capacity remaining; management expects a pacing assumption of roughly $25M per quarter but will opportunistically accelerate.
Expense Discipline and Operating Efficiency
Underwriting and operating expenses were $31.1M in Q4 (same absolute dollars as 2024), producing an expense ratio of 20.4%, inside the company's 20–25% target range and described as best-in-class versus peers.
Investment Income Growth
Investment income increased to $27.5M in Q4, up from $22.7M in 2024 (~21% increase), providing an additional driver of revenue growth.
Customer & Distribution Momentum
Activated 90 new lenders in 2025 and ended the year with over 1,700 active accounts, reflecting ongoing customer development and market traction.
Negative Updates
Persistency Decline
Twelve-month persistency declined to 83.4% in Q4 from 83.9% in Q3, a 50 basis point sequential decrease driven by rate movement and increased refinance/purchase activity; management expects persistency to trend back toward historical norms over time.
Increase in Defaults and Default Rate
Defaults rose to 7,661 at December 31 from 7,093 at September 30, an increase of ~8.0% quarter-over-quarter. The reported default rate at year-end was 1.12%.
Higher Claims Expense Quarter-over-Quarter
Claims expense increased to $21.2M in Q4 from $18.6M in Q3, roughly a 14% sequential rise, reflecting seasonal activity and continued growth/seasoning of the insured portfolio.
Concentration of Runoff and 'Tale of Two Portfolios'
Management highlighted uneven persistency across vintages: 2023–2024 cohorts are experiencing sharper runoff vs. earlier vintages. This could accelerate turnover in some higher-quality vintages and affect the timing of credit normalization as large post-COVID vintages age.
Macro & Consumer Headwinds
Management flagged macro risks including high consumer debt levels, slowing hiring, reduced consumer confidence in some cohorts, and the potential for rate-driven volatility—risks that could put pressure on credit over time if stress emerges.
Quarterly Volatility in Premium Yields and Reinsurance Dependency
Net yield is influenced by reinsurance costs and cancellation earnings; while core yield was stable, net yield and profit commissions can fluctuate with loss experience and reinsurance pricing, and the company continues to rely on reinsurance to scale growth (forward-flow at ~4% pretax cost).
Company Guidance
Management's guidance emphasized stability and continued disciplined growth: they expect core yield to remain generally stable (Q4 core yield 34 bps; net yield 28 bps), persistency to stay well above historical norms despite Q4 12‑month persistency of 83.4% (down 50 bps Q/Q) and to trend toward historical levels over time, and they expect the private MI market to remain strong in 2026 (industry NIW ~ $310B in 2025) if rates hold. They secured quota‑share and excess‑of‑loss reinsurance providing forward‑flow coverage through 2028 at an estimated 4% pre‑tax cost of capital, plan to continue disciplined capital returns (roughly $25M/quarter buyback pace — Q4 repurchases $31M; $226M remaining capacity; $349M repurchased to date), and aim to sustain mid‑teens returns (2025 ROE 16.2%) while growing book value (book value per share $33.98; ex‑unrealized $34.58, +4% Q/Q, +16% YoY). Key balance‑sheet/operating reference points cited were $221.4B primary insurance in force (up 1.4% Q/Q, 5.4% YoY), $49B NIW in 2025 ($14.2B in Q4), year‑end available PMIERs assets $3.5B vs. required $2.1B (excess $1.4B), and Q4 financials of total revenue $180.7M, net premiums earned $152.5M, investment income $27.5M, underwriting & operating expenses $31.1M (expense ratio 20.4%), claims $21.2M, and GAAP net income $94.2M (Q4 EPS $1.20; FY GAAP net income $388.9M, EPS $4.92).

NMI Holdings Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong fundamentals: steady revenue growth (2020–2025) with exceptional and consistent net margins, improving leverage (debt-to-equity down to ~0.16), and solid operating/FCF generation with high cash conversion. Main offset is data reliability/consistency concerns in 2025 balance sheet and cash-flow coverage fields, which reduces confidence in trend comparability.
Income Statement
90
Very Positive
Revenue has grown steadily from 2020 to 2025 (annual revenue up from ~$436M to ~$706M), with especially strong growth in 2025. Profitability is a clear strength: net profit margins are consistently very high (roughly ~48% to ~56%) and operating profitability remains strong across the period. A watch-out is that margins have been fairly stable rather than expanding recently, and the 2025 revenue growth rate appears unusually elevated versus prior years, which could indicate a one-off boost.
Balance Sheet
86
Very Positive
Leverage is conservative and improving: debt-to-equity trends down from ~0.29 (2020) to ~0.16 (2025), while equity has grown materially over time. This points to strengthening balance sheet flexibility and lower financial risk. The main weakness is data consistency: 2025 total assets are shown as an extreme outlier versus prior years and return on equity is listed as 0.0 for 2025, which reduces confidence in period-to-period comparability.
Cash Flow
82
Very Positive
Cash generation looks solid and generally improves over time: operating cash flow rises from ~$253M (2020) to ~$419M (2025), and free cash flow is consistently close to net income (roughly ~95% to ~100%), suggesting good earnings quality. Free cash flow growth is positive in most years, though it dipped in 2022 and then accelerated sharply in 2025. A key concern is coverage data quality: operating cash flow coverage is extremely high in some years, 0.0 in 2020, and near-zero in 2025, implying potential metric instability or definitional differences.
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue692.21M705.58M650.97M579.00M524.46M485.64M
Gross Profit637.91M647.93M618.70M555.61M526.96M470.82M
EBITDA529.50M528.28M512.24M456.46M421.34M339.75M
Net Income380.88M388.93M360.11M322.11M292.90M231.13M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets3.73B3.84T3.35B2.94B2.52B2.45B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments505.83M43.94B54.22M95.35M42.25M73.48M
Total Debt416.55M417.03M415.15M397.60M396.05M394.62M
Total Liabilities1.21B1.25T1.13B1.01B902.30M884.79M
Stockholders Equity2.51B2.59B2.22B1.93B1.61B1.57B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow386.85M419.30M386.70M333.31M302.82M313.48M
Operating Cash Flow393.38M419.30M393.60M342.68M313.39M325.72M
Investing Cash Flow-284.94M-316.47M-339.29M-200.00M-289.79M-374.18M
Financing Cash Flow-111.32M-113.20M-96.70M-90.42M-55.83M-1.83M

NMI Holdings Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price40.92
Price Trends
50DMA
39.48
Positive
100DMA
38.29
Positive
200DMA
38.68
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.38
Negative
RSI
59.10
Neutral
STOCH
62.04
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For NMIH, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 40.92 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 38.94, above the 50-day MA of 39.48, and above the 200-day MA of 38.68, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.38 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 59.10 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 62.04 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for NMIH.

NMI Holdings Risk Analysis

NMI Holdings disclosed 44 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. NMI Holdings reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

NMI Holdings Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
82
Outperform
$3.15B8.3316.17%8.86%9.51%
82
Outperform
$6.29B9.6412.75%2.02%2.40%1.18%
81
Outperform
$6.33B9.5412.35%1.88%2.78%-0.50%
70
Outperform
$4.00B10.637.06%1.50%7.56%-38.23%
68
Neutral
$6.12B8.711.89%2.20%9.90%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
63
Neutral
$4.64B8.5512.56%2.78%-3.68%3.65%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
NMIH
NMI Holdings
40.92
5.41
15.24%
AGO
Assured Guaranty
86.67
-2.49
-2.79%
MTG
MGIC Investment
27.36
3.19
13.20%
RDN
Radian Group
34.24
2.43
7.64%
ESNT
Essent Group
65.51
10.27
18.59%
ACT
Enact Holdings
43.54
10.69
32.54%

NMI Holdings Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
NMI Holdings Adds Independent Director to Strengthen Governance
Positive
Feb 12, 2026

On February 12, 2026, NMI Holdings expanded its board to ten members and appointed Renu Agrawal as an independent director, also naming her to the Audit and Risk Committees. Agrawal will receive cash and equity retainers under the company’s standard non-employee director compensation program, and she is subject to stock ownership guidelines and a standard indemnification agreement.

Agrawal brings extensive board and executive experience in banking, insurance, and financial services, including senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo and directorships at multiple financial and insurance-related firms. Her appointment is expected to strengthen National MI’s governance and risk oversight as it pursues continued value creation for shareholders in the mortgage insurance sector.

The most recent analyst rating on (NMIH) stock is a Buy with a $48.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on NMI Holdings stock, see the NMIH Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 13, 2026