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Selective Insurance Group (SIGI)
NASDAQ:SIGI
US Market

Selective Insurance Group (SIGI) Risk Analysis

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Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Selective Insurance Group disclosed 20 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Selective Insurance Group reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2025

Risk Distribution
20Risks
40% Finance & Corporate
15% Legal & Regulatory
15% Ability to Sell
10% Tech & Innovation
10% Production
10% Macro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Selective Insurance Group Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q4, 2025

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 8 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 8 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
20
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
20
-1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
0Risks added
0Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
Number of Risk Changed
3
+2
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
3
+2
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Selective Insurance Group in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 20

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 8/20 (40%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights1 | 5.0%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Because we are a New Jersey corporation and an insurance holding company, we may be less attractive to potential acquirers, and our common stock's value could be adversely affected.
We are a New Jersey company, and provisions of the New Jersey Shareholders' Protection Act and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may discourage, delay, or prevent us from being acquired. A supermajority of our shareholders must approve (i) certain business combinations with interested shareholders or (ii) any amendment to the related provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation unless certain conditions are met. These conditions may relate to, among other things, the interested stockholder's acquisition of stock, the approval of the business combination by disinterested members of our Board and disinterested stockholders, and the price and payment of the consideration proposed in the business combination. In addition to considering the effects of any action on our shareholders (including any offer or proposal to acquire the Parent), our Board may consider (i) the long-term, and short-term interests of the Parent and our shareholders, including the possibility that the Parent's continued independence may best serve these interests, (ii) the effects of the action on the Parent's employees, suppliers, creditors, and customers, and (iii) the effects of the action on the community in which the Parent operates. These provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and New Jersey law could (i) deprive our common shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium over the prevailing market price in a hostile takeover and (ii) adversely affect the value of our common stock. Because we own insurance subsidiaries, any party seeking to acquire 10% or more of our common stock must seek prior approval from the subsidiaries' domiciliary insurance regulators and file extensive information about their business operations and finances. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner, who regulates seven of our Insurance Subsidiaries, also considers whether (i) the acquisition of control of an insurer would be adverse to the public interest or the protection of existing and future policyholders or (ii) persons seeking control would use control adversely to the public interest or the protection of policyholders.
Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 10.0%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We are a holding company, and our ability to declare dividends to our shareholders, pay indebtedness, and enter into affiliate transactions may be limited because our Insurance Subsidiaries are regulated.
Restrictions on our Insurance Subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends, make loans or advances to the Parent, or enter transactions with affiliates may materially affect our ability to pay dividends on our preferred and common stock or repay our indebtedness. Based on these restrictions, there is a maximum ordinary annual dividend the Insurance Subsidiaries can provide to the Parent. Our Insurance Subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends or make loans or advances is subject to the approval or review by our domiciliary state insurance regulators. For additional details regarding dividend restrictions, see Note 22. "Statutory Financial Information, Capital Requirements, and Restrictions on Dividends and Transfers of Funds" in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." of this Form 10-K. The Parent's ability to pay dividends to its stockholders is also impacted by covenants in its credit agreement (the "Line of Credit") among the Parent, the named lenders (the "Lenders"), and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent. These covenants obligate the Parent to, among other things, maintain a minimum consolidated net worth and a maximum debt-to-capitalization ratio. Our preferred stock's terms limit the Parent's ability to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem, or otherwise acquire shares of its common stock or any shares of the Parent that rank junior to, or on parity with, the preferred stock if the Parent does not declare and pay (or set aside) dividends on the preferred stock for the last preceding dividend period. For additional details about the Line of Credit's financial covenants, see Note 11. "Indebtedness" in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K. For additional details about conditions related to our preferred stock, see Note 17. "Equity" in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Form 10-K.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Our ability to reduce our risk exposure depends on the availability and cost of reinsurance.
We transfer a significant portion of our underwriting risk to third parties through reinsurance, primarily in the form of annual contracts that reimburse us for losses exceeding specified thresholds on a per-loss or aggregate basis. Typically, our reinsurance coverages align with the coverages in our primary insurance policies, including coverages for catastrophes. Historically, commercial property and homeowners losses have accounted for most of our catastrophe-related reinsurance claims. We determine the amount of reinsurance we purchase by analyzing historical losses and outputs from various modeling software programs that analyze our Insurance Subsidiaries' risks, particularly for catastrophes. Insufficient reinsurance could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. Reinsurance availability, retentions, coverage limits, terms, conditions, exclusions, and cost depend on market conditions, which are influenced by traditional direct- and broker-placed reinsurance, retrocessional reinsurance, and catastrophe bond market capacity. These market factors can cause reinsurance costs to fluctuate, which may not correlate with our loss experience. State insurance regulators generally permit us to consider catastrophe reinsurance expense in our filed rates and rating plans. However, the conditions and timing of regulatory approval may not align with the actual reinsurance expense. Reinsurance expense increases that are not considered or approved in our filed rates and rating plans will reduce our earnings. If we cannot negotiate desired reinsurance amounts or terms, we may experience increased reinsurance expenses and increased risk retention on individual or aggregate claim losses, which could limit our ability to write future business. Our Insurance Subsidiaries face increased underwriting risk and loss exposure for specific primary policy perils, like cyber and communicable diseases, which our reinsurance policies now principally exclude. Our reinsurance contracts also restrict our ability to cede certain types of potential terrorism-related losses. Increased underwriting risk from these and other risks could lead to higher net loss and loss expense and underwriting results volatility. Decreased reinsurance availability would also increase our underwriting risk if we cannot fully place our targeted reinsurance treaty coverage on renewal. Even with the benefits of reinsurance, our catastrophe risk exposure could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings.
Debt & Financing4 | 20.0%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
A downgrade or a potential downgrade in our financial strength or credit ratings could result in a loss of business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
A significant downgrade in our financial strength rating, particularly from AM Best Company ("AM Best"), would impact our ability to write new or renewal business. Most policyholders are required by various third-party agreements, primarily with lenders, to maintain insurance policies from a carrier with a minimum rating from AM Best or Standard & Poor's Global Ratings. Credit rating downgrades could also make it more expensive to access capital markets. We cannot predict rating actions issued by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations that might adversely affect our business or potential responses. Any significant downgrade in our financial strength and credit ratings below an "A-" could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. For additional information on our current financial strength and credit ratings, refer to "Overview" in Item 1. "Business." of this Form 10-K.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
We are exposed to credit risk.
We encounter credit risk in various areas of our insurance operations, particularly from third parties: - Our reinsurers, which have payment obligations under our reinsurance agreements. Reinsurance credit risk can fluctuate over time, increasing during periods of high industry catastrophe and liability losses. Reinsurers generally manage their significant loss exposure through their own reinsurance programs, or retrocessions, and we do not have complete details about them. If our reinsurers have trouble collecting on their retrocession programs or reinstating retrocession coverage after a large loss, we may not receive timely or full payment of our reinsurance claims. Consequently, we have direct and indirect counterparty credit risk to our reinsurers and the reinsurance industry, which is a global yet concentrated market. - Certain life insurance companies, if they fail to fulfill their contractual obligations to our policyholders or claimants under annuities we purchased as part of structured claims settlements. - Some of our independent distribution partners who collect our premiums from policyholders. - Some policyholders, who are directly obligated to us for premium and/or deductible payments, may have their payment timing altered by regulator-granted payment moratoriums. Our exposure to credit risk could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Determining the amount of credit losses taken on our investments is highly subjective and could materially impact our results of operations or our financial position.
The determination of the amount of credit losses taken on our investments is based on our quarterly evaluation and assessment of our investments, as well as the known and inherent risks associated with the various asset classes. Our allowance for credit losses is subject to significant judgments and assumptions about changes in economic conditions, estimated future cash flows,and the accuracy of third-party information used in internal assessments. We revise our evaluations and assessments as conditions change and new information becomes available. There can be no assurance that management has accurately assessed the level of credit losses recorded in our Financial Statements. For further details on our evaluation and considerations for determining whether a security has a credit loss, please refer to "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" in Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." of this Form 10-K.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
Our investments are exposed to credit risk, interest rate fluctuation, and changes in value.
We depend on income from our investment portfolio for a significant portion of our revenue and earnings. Our investments can be negatively affected by (i) liquidity, (ii) credit deterioration, (iii) financial results, (iv) public and private market volatility, (v) economic conditions, including heightened levels of economic inflation, (vi) political risk, (vii) sovereign risk, (viii) interest rate fluctuations, (ix) international trade policies and tariffs, or (x) other factors, including civil unrest and other catastrophic events, some of which may be impacted by climate change risk. Our investment portfolio's value is subject to credit risk from the issuers, guarantors, financial guarantee insurers, and other counterparties to the securities we hold or transactions we enter. Defaults by any of these parties could reduce our net investment income and increase net realized investment losses. We are also subject to the risk that the issuers or guarantors of our fixed income securities may default on principal and interest payment obligations. Additionally, we are exposed to interest rate risk, primarily related to the market price and cash flow variability associated with interest rate changes. Consequently, the amount of our cash and cash equivalents and the value and liquidity of our marketable and non-marketable securities may fluctuate substantially. Future fluctuations in the value of our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable and non-marketable securities could result in significant losses that have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and operating results. Our investment portfolio is exposed to climate change-related transition and physical investment risks. - Transition risks arise from the world's transition to a low-carbon economy, driven by government policy and regulation, advances in low-carbon technology, and shifting societal preferences and public sentiment. This transition to renewable energy sources may lead to (i) stranded assets in sectors with high carbon footprints or those closely tied to carbon-based economic activity, such as the fossil fuel and automotive industries, (ii) increased costs for infrastructure reinvestment and replacement, and litigation defense of carbon-intensive sectors, (iii) lower corporate profitability, (iv) lower property values, and (v) lower household wealth. The Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment defines the carbon-intensive sectors as the most exposed to transition risk: oil and gas, coal, power, automotive, cement, aviation, and steel. Carbon-intensive sectors within our fixed income securities portfolio represented about 4% and 5% of our total invested assets as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. - Physical investment risks include the risk of investment losses on our commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities exposed to climate-related catastrophic losses that can cause business disruption, destroy capital, increase costs to recover from disasters, reduce revenue, and cause population displacement and migration. These, in turn, can lower residential and commercial property values, household wealth, and corporate profitability, potentially creating financial and credit market losses impacting insurer asset values. As of December 31, 2025, about 76% of our residential mortgage-backed securities were backed by government agencies. We generally invest in the top tranches of commercial mortgage-backed securities, which limit potential losses from declines in property value. As of December 31, 2025, about 71% of our commercial mortgage-backed securities had "AAA" credit ratings. Significant future declines in investment values could require further losses recorded on securities we sell and credit losses. For more information regarding market interest rate, credit, and equity price risk, see Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk." of this Form 10-K.
Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 5.0%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Changed
Operational leverage relies on the success of our risk management strategies, and their failure could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
As an insurer, we assume risk from our policyholders. We define operating leverage as the ratio of NPW to our statutory surplus. We balance and mitigate our operational leverage risk through several risk management strategies within our insurance operations to achieve a balance of growth and profit, including an underwriting risk appetite focused on small-to-medium-sized accounts. We employ significant reinsurance, a disciplined reserving approach, and a conservative investment philosophy. These strategies have inherent limitations. We cannot be certain that an event or series of unanticipated events will not occur and result in greater-than-expected losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 3/20 (15%)Below Sector Average
Regulation2 | 10.0%
Regulation - Risk 1
Our business is subject to various state, federal, and other laws, rules, policies, and other data use and protection obligations.
We are subject to federal and state laws governing the collection, use, retention, security, and transfer of personally identifiable information ("PII"). Federal laws include the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Drivers Privacy Protection Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices laws. Several states, like New York, Nevada, Colorado, Virginia, and California, have passed similar laws, and others are considering imposing additional restrictions or creating new rights concerning PII. These laws continue to develop and may differ by jurisdiction. Complying with emerging and changing requirements may result in substantial costs or necessitate us to change our business practices. Noncompliance could result in significant reputational harm, penalties, and legal liability. General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") regulates data protection and privacy in the EU, including personal data transfers outside the EU. GDPR's central tenet is to give individuals primary control over their personal data. Because we do not write coverages in the EU, GDPR does not directly impact us. Some U.S. states have subsequently incorporated individual-control mechanisms into state privacy laws. Future EU data privacy actions likely will influence U.S. regulators over time. We make statements about our use and disclosure of PII in our privacy notice, published on our website, and in other public venues. We may be subject to litigation or governmental actions if we fail to comply with these public statements or federal and state privacy-related and data protection laws and regulations. Such proceedings could impact our reputation and result in penalties, including ongoing audit requirements and significant legal liability.
Regulation - Risk 2
We are subject to complex and changing laws, regulations, and public policy debates that expose us to regulatory scrutiny, potential liabilities, increased costs, reputational harm, and other adverse effects on our business.
Our operations are subject to complex and changing state and federal laws, regulations, and public policy debates on subjects, including, without limitation, the following: - Pricing and underwriting practices;- Claims practices;- Loss and loss expense reserves;- Exiting geographic markets and/or policy cancellations or non-renewals;- Climate change and sustainability-related issues, including reporting, investment, and other mandated actions;- Assessments for guaranty funds, second-injury funds, and other mandatory assigned risks and reinsurance pools;- The types, quality, and concentration of investments we make;- Minimum capital requirements for the Insurance Subsidiaries;- Dividends from our Insurance Subsidiaries to the Parent;- Privacy, data security, and related public disclosures for breaches;- Tax;- Antitrust;- Consumer protection;- Advertising, media, and digital content;- Sales;- Billing and e-commerce;- Intellectual property ownership and infringement;- Technology, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and predictive and other modeling types;- Internet, telecommunications, and mobile communications;- Availability of third-party software applications and services;- Employment and workplace rules related to human resources practices and environmental, health, and safety issues;- Anti-money laundering; and - Corporate social responsibility. Changes to laws and regulations can adversely affect our business by increasing our costs, limiting our ability to offer products or services to customers, requiring changes to our business practices, or otherwise making our products and services less attractive. In addition to regulatory changes, broader public policy changes and political uncertainties can have an impact on our business results. For example, (i) tariffs and related trade policy shifts can disrupt supply chains and increase costs, creating uncertainty for pricing and loss cost assumptions, and (ii) prolonged government shutdowns result in a lapse in the National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP"), which would impact our Standard Personal Lines results. While we underwrite risks only in the U.S., international regulatory developments, primarily capital adequacy and risk management requirements in the European Union ("EU"), may influence U.S. regulators as they develop or revise domestic regulatory standards. We have designed and implemented policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. However, we cannot provide assurance that our employees, contractors, or independent distribution partners will not violate such laws, regulations, or our policies and procedures. To some degree, we have multiple regulators whose authority may overlap and whose interpretations and/or regulations related to the same legal issues may differ. Consequently, there is a risk that one regulator's position or interpretation may conflict with another regulator on the same point. For example, (i) if Congress passed legislation regulating insurer solvency oversight and state regulators remained responsible for rate approval, we could be subject to an inconsistent regulatory framework that could impact our profitability and capital adequacy or (ii) the difference between California's more expansive view of required climate disclosures as compared to those of the SEC. The cost of complying with various laws and regulations, potentially conflicting laws and regulations, and changes in those laws and regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. Insurers are subject to regulatory, political, and media scrutiny. We are subject to government market conduct reviews and investigations, legal actions, and penalties. There can be no assurance that our business will not be materially adversely affected by the outcomes of such activity in the future. If we are found to have violated laws and regulations, it could materially adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 5.0%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We are engaged in ordinary, routine legal proceedings incidental to our insurance operations that are inherently unpredictable and could impact our reputation and/or have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods.
We are engaged in ordinary routine legal proceedings incidental to our insurance operations that include: - Indemnity or defense of third-party suits brought against our insureds;- Defense of actions brought against us by our insureds who disagree with our coverage decisions, some of which allege bad faith claims handling and seek extra-contractual damages, punitive damages, or other penalties;- Actions we file, primarily for declaratory judgment, seeking confirmation that we have made appropriate coverage decisions under our insurance contracts;- Actions brought against competitors or us by plaintiffs alleging improper business practices and sometimes seeking class status. Such actions historically have included issues and allegations, without limitation, related to (i) unfairly discriminatory underwriting practices, including the impact of credit score usage, (ii) managed care practices, such as provider reimbursement, and (iii) automobile claims practices; and - Actions we file against third parties and other insurers for subrogation and recovery of other amounts we paid on our insureds' behalf. Some of our legal proceedings may receive media attention due to their perceived newsworthiness and/or their relationship to various broad economic, political, social, and legal developments or trends. Such media stories could negatively impact our reputation. We expect any potential ultimate liability for ordinary routine legal proceedings incidental to our insurance business will not be material to our consolidated financial condition after considering estimated loss provisions. Litigation outcomes are inherently unpredictable, even with meritorious defenses. The same is true with case-specific litigation duration, as state dockets are often overcrowded. Generally, the longer a case is in litigation, the more expensive it can become. Because the amounts sought in specific actions are large or indeterminate, any adverse outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods. We have no material litigation risks related to climate change.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 3/20 (15%)Above Sector Average
Competition2 | 10.0%
Competition - Risk 1
Changed
Markets for insurance products and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological advancement, and we may struggle to compete effectively.
We offer our insurance products and services in a highly competitive market characterized by (i) consumer and business price sensitivity and (ii) aggressive price competition based on performance characteristics, insights gained through larger data sets, and rapid adoption of technological advancements. These factors can compress underwriting margins, impact new products and services, and evolve industry standards. Our ability to compete depends heavily on our timely and consistent introduction of innovative new products and services. We face substantial competition from a wide range of property and casualty insurance companies for customers, distribution partners, and employees. Competitors include public, private, and mutual insurance companies. Many competitors are larger and may have lower relative operating costs, lower capital costs, or greater capacity to absorb or diversify more risk while maintaining their financial strength ratings. Other competitors, such as mutual or reciprocal companies, are owned by or operated cooperatively for insureds and, unlike us, do not have shareholders who evaluate return on equity performance. Consequently, some competitors may be able to price their products more competitively. The Internet is a significant competitive digital marketplace for existing and new competitors. Established insurance competitors are exploring broader digital Internet offerings and artificial intelligence ("AI") tools. New competitors with variations on traditional business models have emerged. Because the Internet makes it easier and less expensive to bundle products and services, it is also possible that non-insurance companies conducting business online could enter the insurance business or form strategic alliances with insurers. Changes in competitors and the competitive landscape, particularly on the Internet, could shift the supply or demand for insurance and adversely affect our business. The increasing importance of the Internet, technology, AI, and digital strategies in our industry also demands that we attract and retain employees in difficult-to-fill data science, advanced analytics, and IT roles. If we cannot attract and retain such employees, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Competition - Risk 2
We have less loss experience data than our larger competitors.
Insurers depend on access to reliable data about their policyholders and loss experience to build complex analytics and predictive models that assess loss costs, expected profitability, reserve adequacy, adverse claim development potential, recovery opportunities, fraudulent activities, and customer buying habits. We expect the importance of data science and analytics to increase, becoming more complex and accurate as larger sets of more relevant data become available. Some larger competitors have significantly more data about the performance of their underwritten risks. In comparison, we may not have sufficient volumes of loss experience data to accurately and granularly analyze and project our future costs. We supplement our data with industry loss experience from Verisk, AAIS, NCCI, and other publicly available sources. While relevant, industry data may not correlate specifically to the performance of our underwritten risks or be as predictive as data on a larger book of our own business. Because we use and depend on the aggregated industry loss data assembled by rating bureaus under the antitrust exemptions of the McCarran-Ferguson Act, we likely would be at a competitive disadvantage to larger insurers if Congress repealed the McCarran-Ferguson Act.
Sales & Marketing1 | 5.0%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
We depend on distribution partners.
We market and sell our insurance products through independent, non-employee distribution partners. Independent distribution partners have – and we expect they will continue to have – a significant role in the overall production of insurance industry premium. While our customers find advantages in using independent distribution partners, our reliance on independent distribution partners presents risks and challenges, including: - Competition within our distribution channel, as we must market our products and services to independent distribution partners who can access multiple carriers and markets. - Brand recognition challenges because we closely coordinate marketing with our distribution partners and some customers do not differentiate their insurance agent from their insurer. - Our market share growth is tied to our distribution partners' market share. Consequently, growth in our Standard Personal Lines could be more limited than in our Standard Commercial Lines. Competitors have focused on lower-cost "direct-to-customer" distribution models emphasizing digital ease and efficiencies to grow market share in standard personal lines. Continued advancements in "direct-to-customer" distribution models may impact our independent distribution partners' overall market share, make it more difficult for us to grow, or require us to establish relationships with more distribution partners. - Aggregation and consolidation of our independent distribution partners and their market share. Some publicly traded and private equity-backed independent distribution partners have deployed consolidation strategies to acquire other independent distribution partners and increase their market share ("Aggregators") over the last decade. If more of our independent distribution partners become Aggregators or Aggregators acquire them, the demands and influence of Aggregators on our business could increase. For example, certain aggregators are pursuing strategies to consolidate their business with fewer insurers and demanding customized compensation agreements. Aggregators accounted for approximately 51% of our DPW at December 31, 2025, up from 46% in the prior year. No single distribution partner is responsible for 10% or more of our combined insurance operations' premium. Our financial condition and results of operations are impacted by the success of our independent distribution partners in marketing and selling our products and services.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 2/20 (10%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D1 | 5.0%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
We are subject to various modeling risks that could have a material adverse impact on our business results.
We rely on complex financial and other statistical models, developed internally and by third parties, to predict (i) underwriting results on individual risks and our overall portfolio, (ii) claims fraud and other claims impacts, such as escalation, (iii) impacts from catastrophes, (iv) enterprise risk management capital scenarios, and (v) investment portfolio changes. We rely on these financial and other statistical models to analyze historical loss costs and pricing, claims severity and frequency trends, catastrophe losses, reinsurance attachment and exhaustion points, investment performance, portfolio risk, and our economic capital position. Flaws or limitations in financial and statistical models, as well as their embedded assumptions could understate estimated losses. For example, a significant component of climate change risk is that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events may evolve differently relative to historical levels – leading to greater model uncertainty. In addition, increasing insurance regulatory interest in data and model use, combined with any potential restrictions on traditional rating factors or model use, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and operating results. In recognition of this risk, management's experience and sound business judgment must be used to interpret and apply model results.
Cyber Security1 | 5.0%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Changed
We, our distribution partners, and vendors are subject to attempted cyber-attacks and other cybersecurity and system availability risks.
Our business heavily relies on IT and application systems connected to or accessed through the Internet. Consequently, a malicious cyber-attack could affect us. Our systems also house proprietary and confidential information, including PII, about our operations, employees, agents, and customers and their employees and property. A malicious cyber-attack on (i) our systems, (ii) our distribution partners or their key operating systems, and (iii) any other of our third-party partners or vendors and their key operating systems may interrupt our operations, damage our reputation, and result in monetary damages that are difficult to quantify. These potential impacts from a malicious cyber-attack could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. Through encryption and authentication technologies, we have implemented system- and process-based risk mitigations intended to secure our IT systems and prevent unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive data. Cyber-attack sophistication evolves daily, so our security measures may not sufficiently address all eventualities. We may be vulnerable to hacking, employee error, malfeasance, system error, faulty password management, or other irregularities. We implement new technologies, including AI, to increase operational efficiencies. These new technologies may increase the risk of cyber attacks. We also rely on third-party technology providers whose cyber-attack risks may be higher or lower than ours, depending on their profile and the maturity of their security programs. To the extent possible and practical, we review third-party control environments and align their risk exposure with our business requirements and risk tolerances. Any disruption or breach of our systems or data security could damage our reputation, result in monetary damages that are difficult to estimate, and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. To mitigate this risk, we have and expect to continue to (i) conduct disaster recovery exercises, employee education programs, and tabletop exercises, and (ii) develop and invest in a variety of controls to prevent, detect, and appropriately react to cyber-attacks, including frequently testing our systems' security and access controls. We have insurance coverage for certain cybersecurity risks, including privacy breach incidents, which may be insufficient to indemnify against all arising losses or types of claims. In addition to the risk of cyber-attacks, we face system availability risk. Our business relies heavily on various IT and application systems. We have robust business continuity plans designed to minimize the duration and impact of an unexpected loss of availability of any of these systems. Nevertheless, we could experience an event that impacts one or more of these systems, including those based in facilities where our vendors or we operate. Such events could disrupt our ability to conduct business and negatively impact our results of operations, despite our business continuity plans.
Production
Total Risks: 2/20 (10%)Above Sector Average
Supply Chain1 | 5.0%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We are subject to the risks inherent in investing in private limited partnerships.
Our alternative investments include private limited partnerships that invest in various strategies, such as private equity, private credit, and real assets. The primary assets and liabilities underlying these limited partnership investments generally do not have quoted prices in active markets for the same or similar assets. Consequently, their valuation is subject to a higher level of subjectivity and unobservable inputs than most of our other investments. We record these limited partnership investments under the equity method of accounting, so valuation decreases could negatively impact our results of operations.
Costs1 | 5.0%
Costs - Risk 1
Our loss and loss expense reserves may not adequately cover actual losses and expenses.
We maintain reserves for our estimated liability for loss and loss expense associated with reported and unreported insurance claims. Estimating loss and loss expense reserves is inherently uncertain, and there is no method for precisely determining the ultimate liability for claims settlement. We base our loss and loss expense reserve estimates on our internal in-depth reserve review, which uses our loss experience, claims payment and reporting patterns, and our assessment of underlying claims frequency and severity trends. We supplement the estimates with other subjective considerations, including projected impacts from economic, political, social, and legal developments or trends, such as inflation, judicial trends and tort decisions, and various state legislative initiatives. We cannot predict the timing or impact of these developments or trends with certainty; nor can we be certain that the reserves we establish are adequate or will remain so in the future. We review our reserve position quarterly and adjust it as determined appropriate. An increase in reserves (i) reduces net income and stockholders' equity, and (ii) could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial strength, and debt ratings. As we underwrite new business and renew existing business, we estimate future loss cost trends to inform our product pricing, aimed at generating an adequate risk-adjusted return. If our future loss cost trend estimates prove to be understated, our pricing of future new and renewal business could be inadequate to cover actual loss costs, and our future loss and loss expense reserves could be understated. Three examples of how loss and loss expense reserves might be affected by economic, political, social, or legal developments or trends are: - If economic inflation, including medical inflation, is higher than our assumptions, our loss and loss expense reserves for our longer tail lines of business could be insufficient. For example, 2022 inflation rates reflected in the overall consumer price index ("CPI"), the Core CPI, and the Producer Price Index, were higher than in 2021. While inflation moderated in subsequent years, it remains elevated relative to the Federal Reserve's long-term 2% target. The workers compensation line of business is particularly susceptible to inflation due to its extended payment pattern and exposure to medical care services and commodities. While medical inflation has been low for several years, it has risen recently and, in combination with rising utilization, is driving increases in workers compensation medical severities. If this trend continues and medical care costs increase significantly or persist at a higher level for an extended period, our overall loss and loss expense reserves could be materially impacted. Our short-tail property lines of business are also susceptible to inflation due to their exposure to increased labor and material costs. - Social inflation refers to the phenomenon where societal factors, such as attitudes, perceptions, and cultural changes, contribute to increased insurance claims costs and litigation. It often results in higher payouts in legal settlements and jury awards, and affects insurance premiums for businesses and individuals. This inflation is driven by various factors, including changing jury attitudes, increased litigation funding, larger awards in court cases, legal system abuse, insurance coverage gaps, increased willingness to undergo surgery, and novel interpretations of liability. Social inflation can affect all lines of business. However, the automobile liability, general liability, and corresponding umbrella lines of business involving bodily injury to third-party claimants tend to be more susceptible to social inflationary impacts. Our reserve for loss and loss expense could be insufficient if impacts from social inflation exceed our assumptions. - Various states have expanded or could expand the statute of limitations for civil actions alleging sexual abuse. By retroactively permitting previously time-barred claims, these "reviver" laws may result in insurance claims that could significantly increase loss costs and require new reserves or re-evaluation of previously established reserves. Since reviver statutes have been enacted, we have received some notices of claims or potential claims for alleged acts, some that may have occurred several decades ago. Without prior experience, we cannot estimate the number of "reviver" claims notices we may receive. Most notices (i) are blanket notices sent by attorneys representing claimants unsure of the alleged assailant or supervising entity's insurer or policy (if any) and (ii) may not implicate any of our or a predecessor's insurance policies. For those we determine implicate one of our or a predecessor's policy, we (i) have investigated or are investigating facts, (ii) have evaluated policy terms, (iii) believe we have appropriate coverage defenses to most of these claims and/or sufficient reinsurance protections, and (iv) have considered these factors in establishing our reserves, which we believe provide a reasonable estimate of the aggregate ultimate net exposure for these claims. We face related litigation risks because policyholders and claimants may challenge our coverage positions. We discuss these risks further below in the Risk Factor entitled, "We are engaged in ordinary routine legal proceedings incidental to our insurance operations that are inherently unpredictable and could impact our reputation and/or have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows in particular quarterly or annual periods." For further discussion on our loss and loss expense reserves, please see the "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" section of Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." and Note 2. "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." of this Form 10-K.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 2/20 (10%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 5.0%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
National and global economic conditions could adversely and materially affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and growth.
Unfavorable economic developments, such as a decline in economic growth or an increase in inflation levels, could adversely affect our earnings if our policyholders require less insurance coverage, cancel existing insurance policies, modify coverage, or choose not to renew with us. Inflation could significantly affect our claims severity across multiple lines of business potentially leading to adverse reserve development. An economic downturn could also lead to increased credit and premium receivable risk, failure of reinsurance counterparties and other financial institutions, limitations on our ability to issue new debt, reduced liquidity, and declines in the fair value and financial strength ratings of our investments. These potential events and other economic factors could adversely and materially affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and growth. During 2025, 24% of DPW in our Standard Commercial Lines business was based on payroll or sales of our underlying policyholders. An economic downturn in which our policyholders have declining revenue or employee count could adversely affect our total written premium, including audit and endorsement premiums. We write business domestically in the United States, and our insurance operations do not have direct exposure to insureds in Russia, Ukraine, or the Middle East. We do not have material exposure to investments subject to embargoes or Russian reinsurance counterparties. However, ongoing wars and conflicts continue to impact global economic, banking, commodity, and financial markets by exacerbating economic challenges, including inflation and supply chain disruptions, which influence insurance loss costs, premiums, and investment valuations.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 5.0%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
We are subject to losses from catastrophic events.
Losses from natural and human-made catastrophes can negatively impact our financial results. Examples include hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, hail, thunderstorms, severe winter weather, derechos, floods, and fires, some of which are related to climate change, as well as criminal and terrorist acts, including cyber-attacks, civil unrest, and explosions. The frequency and severity of these catastrophes are inherently unpredictable, and both have increased globally in recent years. In many cases, the increase in catastrophe losses relates to small- to- medium-sized events that primary insurers retain rather than cede to reinsurers. We use sophisticated catastrophe modeling techniques to manage our exposure, but actual exposure and loss experience can materially differ from catastrophe model estimates. For example, catastrophe models did not fully estimate the potential for some recent catastrophe losses (such as Winter Storm Elliott freeze losses in December 2022) and the concurrent economic inflation on construction costs. Our most significant natural and/or human-made catastrophe exposures are (i) hurricanes impacting the Eastern U.S., (ii) severe convective storms, including hailstorms and tornadoes, (iii) winter storms, (iv) wildfires, (v) earthquakes, and (vi) terrorism events. Single storms could adversely impact our financial results; however, we could experience more than one severe catastrophic event in any given calendar year. We track our severe weather and catastrophe losses using definitions and information from Insurance Services Office, Inc.'s ("ISO") Property Claim Services unit, an internationally recognized authority on insured property losses from catastrophes in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Certain factors can impact our estimates of ultimate costs for natural and/or human-made catastrophes, including: - Inability to access portions of the affected areas after a catastrophic event;- Scarcity of necessary labor and materials that delay repairs and increase our loss costs;- Regulatory uncertainties, including new or expanded interpretations of coverage;- Residual market assessment-related increases in our catastrophe losses;- Potential fraud and inflated repair costs, partly driven by (a) demand surge post-event and (b) opportunistic service providers;- Higher loss expenses due to shortages of claims adjusters available to appraise damage;- Late claims reporting;- Escalation of business interruption costs due to infrastructure disruption; and - Whether the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury certifies an event as a terrorist act under TRIPRA. Natural catastrophes Temperature changes can affect weather patterns and the frequency and/or severity of catastrophes, including hurricanes, severe convective storms, wildfires, and flooding – all of which could increase our catastrophe losses relative to historical levels. A significant component of climate change risk is that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events may evolve differently relative to historical levels – leading to greater model uncertainty. Climate change models project significant differences in global regional warming above pre-industrial levels, depending on future climate mitigation levels and geographic location. These global regional differences, whether attributable to nature or human activities, include increases in (i) mean temperature in most land and ocean regions, (ii) hot extremes in most inhabited regions, (iii) heavy precipitation in several regions, and (iv) the probability of drought and precipitation deficits in some regions. Human-made catastrophes Cyber Attacks and Incidents The risk of a wide-scale criminal or terrorist cyber-attack has become more significant and has drawn increased attention from IT and national security experts, U.S. policymakers, the U.S. military, and the insurance industry. There is general recognition that a wide-scale cyber-attack simultaneously impacting multiple victims is more likely, and systemic risk in the insurance industry has increased. We have identified three primary sources of potential insured exposure to cyber losses: (i) cyber-specific policies designed to cover both first-party and third-party losses; (ii) affirmative cyber coverage grants included in other types of policies, such as commercial property or businessowners' policies; and (iii) "silent cyber" exposures, otherwise known as non-affirmative cyber exposures, which describes cyber risk that is neither expressly covered nor excluded in insurance policies. This exposure may exist if courts, regardless of intent, interpret policy forms without specific related coverage exclusions to provide coverage for a cyber-related incident. Our cyber-specific policies for commercial lines and personal lines customers are 100% reinsured with highly-rated specialty cyber markets. These solutions allow us to meet our customers' cyber insurance needs while mitigating our underwriting risk as we develop our expertise in the cyber insurance market. Beyond our cyber-specific policies, some of our other insurance policies may provide coverage following a cyber event in certain circumstances: - We offer limited first-party affirmative cyber coverage in our commercial property and businessowners' policy forms. Our base property and businessowners' forms typically include a $2,500 or $10,000 cyber coverage grant that includes "virus and harmful code." Over 90% of our policies with virus/harmful code coverage on commercial property, businessowners', commercial output policy, or inland marine forms have sub-limits of $25,000 or lower. In addition, we apply cyber incident exclusions that eliminate coverage for malicious cyber except for the sub-limited coverage in the base ISO coverage forms and our property and businessowners' property "virus and harmful code" extension endorsements. - Most of our general liability and businessowners' policies exclude cyber-related liability losses, except for "bodily injury." Our specific cyber-exclusion and liability forms' lack of affirmative sub-limited cyber coverage effectively limits most "silent cyber" exposure. For new and renewal policies effective October 1, 2025, and later, we implemented ISO's cyber incident exclusion for general liability, which eliminates coverage for "bodily injury" and "property damage."- By statute, workers compensation policies cannot include cyber exclusions, and a cyber-attack-related workplace injury could trigger coverage. Terrorism We are required to participate in TRIPRA, now extended to December 31, 2027, for our Standard Commercial Lines and E&S Lines business. TRIPRA rescinded all previously approved coverage exclusions for terrorism and requires private insurers and the U.S. government to share the risk of loss on future acts of terrorism certified by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Under TRIPRA, each participating insurer must pay a significant deductible of specified losses before federal assistance is available. Our $684 million deductible is based on a percentage of our prior year's applicable Standard Commercial Lines and E&S Lines premiums. In 2026, the federal government will pay 80% of losses above the deductible, with the insurer retaining 20%. Although TRIPRA will mitigate some of our loss exposure to a large-scale terrorist attack, the size of our deductible and 20% co-participation could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, financial strength, and debt ratings. If the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury does not certify specific terrorist events, we could be required to pay terrorism-related covered losses without TRIPRA's risk-sharing benefits. We could also be required to pay terrorism-related losses for customers who declined terrorism coverage. Our primary workers compensation policies are required to cover terrorism risk, so TRIPRA applies to those policies. Insureds with non-workers compensation commercial policies can accept or decline our terrorism coverage or negotiate with us for other terms. In 2025, 83% of our Standard Commercial Lines non-workers compensation policyholders purchased terrorism coverage that included nuclear, biological, chemical, and radioactive ("NBCR") events. TRIPRA also applies to cyber liability insurance policies reported under a Terrorism Risk Insurance Program-eligible line of insurance. Many states mandate that commercial property policies cover fire following an act of terrorism - regardless of whether the insured purchased terrorism coverage. We also sometimes elect to provide terrorism coverage for lines of business not included in TRIPRA, such as Commercial Automobile. TRIPRA has never covered personal lines of business. Our Standard Personal Lines homeowner policies exclude nuclear losses but not biological, chemical, or conventional terrorism losses. Our current reinsurance programs cover some losses from conventional foreign and domestic terrorism acts but not NBCR events. An increase in natural or man-made catastrophe losses, including a systemic cyber-attack that results in an aggregation of property and/or casualty cyber losses, will reduce our net income and stockholders' equity and could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial strength, and debt ratings. The closer a catastrophe occurs to the end of a reporting period, the more likely we are to have limited information to estimate loss and loss expense reserves, increasing the uncertainty of our estimates. More comprehensive claims information available after a reporting period may result in reserve changes in subsequent periods.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
      They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
        It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
          How do companies disclose their risk factors?
          Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
            Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
              Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
                According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
                  How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
                  Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
                    You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
                      Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
                        A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
                          What are all the risk factor categories?
                          TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
                          1. Financial & Corporate
                          • Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
                          • Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
                          • Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
                          • Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
                          2. Legal & Regulatory
                          • Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
                          • Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
                          • Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
                          • Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
                          3. Production
                          • Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
                          • Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
                          • Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
                          • Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
                          4. Technology & Innovation
                          • Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
                          • Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
                          • Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
                          • Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
                          5. Ability to Sell
                          • Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
                          • Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
                          • Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
                          • Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
                          6. Macro & Political
                          • Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
                          • Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
                          • International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
                          • Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.